Darkness
by Qili-Feng
Summary: Roderich Edelstien is not a Twilight vampire, he's a real vampire trying to hide this secret from a human world with his family while trying to blend in. When Gillian, a hard-headed girl claiming to be Prussian stumbles into his world, Roderich is challenged with love at first sight. With wizards, immortals, and fairies, fitting in is the least of his problems! ON HIATUS! SORRY!
1. Prologue

Darkness; it was an object of fear for millions of people around the world. Monsters under the bed, the evil killers on the loose… all of it leaned on darkness. The monsters, although they weren't seen, could haunt people to their very cores, and drag them awake from sleep with nightmares.

Shadows can come to life, and make your heart race in a fear you didn't even know existed. In the dark, your childhood fears returned, and every strange sound you heard is a growl. Every time you heard a creaking noise, it was an attacker slinking down the hall to your bedroom. When the air vent in the corner of your room made an odd noise, it was the devil whispering stories of your imminent demise.

Yes, with a little bit of darkness and a dash of imagination… anything could happen. With darkness, a seemingly fine house can be labeled as haunted. My home, which my family had only just relocated to two months ago, was one of these seemingly 'haunted' houses, and the children of the neighborhood steered clear of it, hoping that they wouldn't be followed home by ghosts.

Even though I ghosts don't exist, people still fear them for the terrible myths they have heard; all of which are connected to _Dark and Stormy nights. _Inky blackness seems to plague our lives with fear, dominating over logic and reasoning with promises of ghouls and demons. Yet, there are those who are not afraid of this darkness; there are those who refuse to give into it, and rebel with their own promises of light.

In its own way, light can have similar effects on our minds; with the thought of light, comes warmth, hope and prosperity. But, what if I could tell you that your fears were irrational, and that you should fear the very thing that you have looked to for guidance for your entire life? What if I told you that the creatures lingering in the shadows were merely guarding you from something far more hideous? Furthermore, if I told you that there were unknown beings that disguised themselves with light merely to claim your life for their own… then who, or _what _could these unknown beings be?

And who can you trust?


	2. Halloween

It's very quiet in a coffin; there is a heightened sense of self-awareness that overwhelms everything else, and drowns the rest of the world in silence. Trapped in that darkness, I feel most at peace. It was a feeling that I could happily live with the rest of my life.

How I wished that I could be back in my coffin in this moment, far away from the agony of public high school. My wish would just remain unanswered; I had wished for the same thing for weeks without any freedom from humans. So, I continued to suffer through this torture every day. With my arms folded over my chest and my legs crossed at my ankles, I watched with a sharp stare at a balding teacher attempted to teach us the fundamentals of English Literature. I couldn't bother with him at the moment; she was watching me again.

I didn't know what her name was; I never really bothered to learn it. She was distracting enough without a name connected to her face. I knew that she had ruby colored eyes that seemed to glow with fire as she burned holes in the back of my skull. I also knew that she had albino white hair that was too long for its own good, always trailing down her back and resting against her hips. That is, if I was looking her hips… which I was not.

This girl with no name's voice was very… for lack of better word, _melodic_. With a smooth alto voice that seemed to loom over all other voices in the room, I could hear every word she said without having to strain my ears. Even if the girl had absolutely nothing important to say, she had _something _to say. So, without fail, I could even hear her whispering to the girls around her.

"_He's so cute…"_

She whispered, continuing to bore her stare into the back of my head. I heard a few giggles from her friends, and I rolled my eyes, struggling to pay attention to the girl with no name and the teacher slapping the Smart board at the same time. Why was I bothering? She wasn't anyone important… she was just another human that I went to school with. Then, why did I always find myself searching for her voice among all of the other voices in the room? What made her so important?

Moreover, I found myself looking forward to the small personality quirks that she had developed over the year. With every English class, I would find myself coming face to face with so-called 'vampire weaknesses'. Just yesterday, I found a small wooden cross sitting atop my desk waiting for me. It wasn't even three inches tall, and it looked like someone had found two sad looking sticks on the ground and glued them together. The girl with no name sat poised in her desk, with her hands folded on her desk innocently with an expectant look on her face. With a sigh, I pushed the cross onto the floor, watching it clatter to the ground with a forlorn little _clink_ sound.

Several young people were shocked at the display of religious intolerance, and a few students had come up to my desk in hopes of chewing me out for the action, but many of them walked away after catching my sharp glare. The girl with no name seemed pleased though, and from the corner of my eyes, I saw that she was smirking wryly at me.

Yesterday it was a cross; today, I found a lovely bible sitting on my desk. I didn't bother to move it. It was still sitting on my desk at that moment. Pristine white cover with a silver cross stamped in the middle, I merely pushed it to the side of my desk opposite my books and ignored it, earning a disapproving glare from the girl.

I wasn't going to stand for it anymore. Not anymore of her rude staring, not anymore of her ridiculous attempts to prove that I was indeed a vampire. Even if her attempts had worked, I would've just gone to a wizard to erase those memories. Simple as that. But, it wasn't that simple; she hadn't proven anything, and there was no reason to go to a wizard and say: 'She's staring at me, and I don't like it!'

I supposed that I could do that, but I was a few hundred years old, and I wasn't that petty. Or was I? Maybe I was, and I was just in denial. It was most likely the latter. Considering all of the distraction she had caused me – and wasted thoughts keeping me up at night – she needed to be put in her place. I really wanted her to just alone. Why couldn't she understand that?

"Alright, I'll give you the rest of the hour to work on your vocabulary."

That was it; my perfect opportunity to strike. I had an opening of time, I had to take it. Straightening my legs and standing from my desk with more fluid grace than a human could ever possess, I turned my body toward the nameless girl. It was obvious of the tension in the room when I moved; it was rare for me to move from my seat during class, and now at least twenty pairs of eyes were fixed on me, including the ruby colored eyes of the girl who remained nameless.

At first, my steps were strong and with purpose, one by one getting me closer to the girl who sat a mere three rows behind me. There were hushed whispers and several heads turning as I continued to the girl with no name, listening with intense interest as her heartbeat seemed to drum louder than anyone else's in the room. It was as if her heart had the same interesting ring as her voice did; catching my attention and drawing me in.

My step faltered, missing a fraction of a beat before correcting themselves as I continued past the girl with no name. I walked right past her. As if that was the plan the entire time. Of course, it didn't stop me from feeling like an idiot. She was right there… what happened to me? Her heart started racing… that look in her eyes… what would her voice sound like now? No… what was I thinking?

Shaking my head to somehow rid it of the mundane thoughts lingering inside of it, I reached the bookshelf in the back of the room, taking my fisted right hand up to rest on the spine of a dictionary. I heard the girl with no name whisper to her friends.

"_He was looking at me… did you see that? Man, I'm more awesome than I thought."_

Why was I smirking? It couldn't be the fact that I heard the smile in her voice; she was always so… confident. Was she always like this? I wondered what her smile looked like… with her pale skin and rosy cheeks. Something was wrong with me. Maybe I was sick. I shouldn't have been thinking of a human girl like that.

But… if it was just a little bit of thought, it shouldn't matter, right? Well, it wouldn't matter if it was just a little thing, but it wasn't. Every night there was an interruption of my peace, some sort of dream that slipped into my brain, forcing my brain to fire of signals that shouldn't have fired. The sound of her voice intruded my coffin, echoing in my head and breaking up the darkness with the sound of her quiet laughter. Such _sweet _sounding laughter… I saw a beautiful smile, and her eyes glittering when she cast a challenging glance at me. Good God, I was insane.

The worst part about the twisted dreams is that they _never _went away. The second worst part about having the dreams was _not wanting _them to go away. I could've sat in my coffin with my eyes closed, just thinking up different pictures in my mind of her smile. They different expressions that flashed over her face when I entered the room; the rosiness of her cheeks when her friends blubbered about me being cute. The girl with no name coming to my defense and insisting that I was not cute; I was handsome.

Oh, Lord… she thought I was handsome. When had she said that? I couldn't quite remember… I do remember it leaving her lips, quick and holding to the truth. I swore that she was the crazy one, and I was not at fault for her strange ways. Now, as I stood with my right hand on a dictionary, I took a fraction of a second to think of all of this. Faster than the blink of an eye, all of the things I had thought made me feel uncomfortable. My stomach felt too tight for comfort, as if I had punched in the stomach with a metal gauntlet and I hadn't quite caught my breath.

Lifting my hand from the spine of the book in front of me, fisting it against my chest and pounding it against the place above my non-beating heart with a solid thump. None of the pressure in my chest was relieved, and now I could hear the girl with no name talking again.

"_We should go Trick-or-Treating, tonight. I'm not old enough to stop going, right?_"

Her friends both agreed with bubbly responses, and they immediately began to talk about what they wanted to dress up as. I sucked in a deep breath, taking in the smell of old book glue that had cracked and broken in the dictionaries from overuse. I had to stop thinking of that girl; she was some sort of insect that somehow crawled into my brain and injected me with some sort of poison that was slowly infesting my mind with thoughts of her. Who on earth felt this way about someone when they didn't even know the other person's name? No one… except for me, of course. Another breath in, and my chest felt as if someone had dropped in anvil on top of me.

All of this… _emotion_ for one person was unhealthy in my book. Blinking hard, I took the dictionary in front of me off of the shelf and held it in one hand easily as I returned to my seat in a calm and orderly fashion, ignoring the girl with no name completely. It was the only thing I could think of to do… ignore her and pretend I never laid my eyes on her. Not that it would work. My mind was enraptured with her… everything about her. It hurt to think about it. A human girl having such an effect on me… it was _wrong_ in so many ways.

For the rest of the hour I sat quietly at my desk, tapping the end of my pencil on the cover of the dictionary in front of me, closed and unused. I didn't need it. Not for these simple words that I had learned years ago. With cautious glances at the bible at the edge of my desk, I wondered if I should give it back to the nameless girl; if it wasn't hers, that action would be humiliating. I continued tapping my pencil, trying to block out the sound of the girls voice; sweet sounding and inviting on the other side of the room, beckoning me to turn around and see her smiling at her friends if just for a moment. I wouldn't give in. I refused.

Footsteps. Oh, no. Footsteps coming toward me. Footsteps that could only be made by the girl with no name. Her combat boots had enough clips and zippers to be heard in a noisy intersection. Now, she was walking toward me with slow, unsteady steps, as if someone was pushing her forward. I couldn't help it. I looked to my right and back to see the girl with no name being prodded along by two of her friends. A blonde and a brunette with such fiendish expressions they could best the villains on America's Most Wanted. The girl with no name was slapping their hands away, muttering curses under her breath that I could hear loud and clear. I would've been surprised if I hadn't heard her swear that much before. It was normal to hear such profanities from her mouth every day, so I just watched with arched eyebrows.

After her friends finally backed away, she took a final step to come closer to my desk. I swallowed, taking in her appearance. Just as she did every day, she wore a black top with dark pants tucked into her trademark combat boots. Her expression was probably just as uneasy as mine was, and she thumbed the front pockets of her jeans as she studied my face.

"Hi."

She finally said; it took a moment for my brain to register the greeting, I was busy memorizing how it sounded. Cautious and unsteady. My eyes narrowed, trying to decipher what she wanted from me by scanning her expression. She squirmed under my gaze, and I realized that I had made her uncomfortable. She had no idea how uncomfortable _she _made _me._ So, like any gentleman, I gave her a curt nod of my head.

"Hello."

I responded, and I heard her friends erupt in a series of giggles, and several people in the room gasped; it was probably their first time hearing me speak. I made a point to keep quiet in school. I had no questions, I had been through school before, all I had to do was sit still and pretend to pay attention while I aced tests with a flick of my wrist. The girl with no name stomped her foot on the ground with a loud thump, and the sound reverberated in my sensitive ears. I blinked several times, and looked back up to see the girl blowing her bangs from her face with a swift _whoosh_from her mouth.

"So," The girl rocked back on her heels, thinking of what to say. "It's Halloween tonight."

There was a pause, and I blinked; did she expect me to respond? Several students were leaning in to hear my response, and I thought about what to say. My mind didn't seem to want to comply with the conversation, and the only movement of my body was another blink. The girl with no name shrugged her shoulders, and let the air rush out of her lungs in an apprehensive sigh.

"Right, and I… well, actually my friends and I were going to go Trick-or-Treating. I thought that you would be lonely to be all by yourself, so…"

The girl was interrupted by her friends shrieking with laughter; one in the howling duo was a blonde with glittering blue eyes. She caught my sharp stare, and squirmed a bit before maintaining her composure, and slapping a smile on her face again.

"Oh, please… just ask him out, already!"

I began to wonder if this was normal behavior for teenage girls, or if I was just unlucky enough to be trapped in a classroom with a trio of insane delinquents. It was probably the latter. The girl with no name flushed a brilliant pink, turning to glare at the blonde with a furious expression.

"Shut up, alright?" She called to them, and then turned back to me, catching my violet eyed gaze in her ruby irises. "Ignore them, they're just being weird."

Well, she didn't have to tell be that. I already knew that they were strange, I didn't need her assurance. But, I gave her the benefit of the doubt and nodded as if I was taking her advice. She smiled, and my body was caught in a vice; why was she making me feel so uncomfortable? What was she trying to do to me? This girl… why was she so confident in the tiniest things? She was so sure of herself; why did I like that about her?

"Anyway," The girl wrenched me from my thoughts, causing me to tip my head back to look at her once more as she spoke. "Do you want to come with me? I mean, us… do you?"

At the precise moment I thought she couldn't be any stranger, she had to ask me a question that seemed to ignore the laws of physics. My body leaned forward as if I would fall forward toward her, allowing gravity to drag me down, but the toll of a bell signaled the end of the class, and I snapped up onto my feet.

"I don't usually play such childish games."

Somehow my words hit the girl with the effect of a slap across her face, and she flinched. I turned to leave, and she caught the sleeve of my crisp dress shirt, wrinkling the fabric in her fingers. Part of me was glad she hadn't taken hold of my velvet vest in fear that she would damage the fabric, but then I felt a bit like a diva. Never mind that, she was opening her mouth, readying herself for the moment when she would finally speak.

"It's not a childish game, we're friends. We're having fun, maybe you should try it."

"Friends?" I laughed; it was a humorless, sad sound. Friends weren't a thing that I really needed. The last time I had a friend, I trusted that person with everything I had, and they had betrayed me. That person had tried to… "No, thank you."

"No, thank you?" The girl repeated, as if it was the strangest thing I had ever heard. "Nobody can live without having a friend or two, you know."

Trying to resist the urge to rip her hand away from my clean shirt, I rolled my eyes. Why was she so persistent? It wasn't as important as she made it out to be, and I knew that for a fact.

"Well, I've been fine for the majority of my life, so I presume that your hypothesis is incorrect."

The girl's face pinched up as if I had made her taste something extremely sour. Her fingers released their vice-like grip on my arm, and I retrieved my notebook from the desk, gathering up the dictionary in my other hand. Now I had an excuse to leave her, but she was following me back to the bookshelf like a baby chick following the mother hen.

"Do you always talk like that?"

Resting the dictionary back onto the solid bookshelf, I raised an eyebrow, trying to understand. What was wrong with the way I spoke? I merely spoke clearly enough so a ridiculous girl like her could understand me, and I was sure to use words that she knew.

"I'm sorry; what's wrong with the way I speak?"

"That." She said, as if I had done something obvious. "You're so… fancy. It's like you're from the eighteen hundreds. Are you like a vampire or something?"

I didn't hesitate. I didn't. I was merely caught up in the straightforward point of her question. With a subtle shift in my posture, I turned my head to face the girl. She was watching me with raised eyebrows and an expectant expression. Trying to play me response as a joke, I darkened my expression.

"What if I am?"

The girl looked me up and down, obviously caught off-guard by my response before a wide grin came to her face.

"That just makes you even cooler than I thought."

I rolled my eyes at this, and shook my head. Moving with the hopes of dropping this conversation, I turn my back to her only to be stuck; the girl had caught the back of my vest. _Damn_, I liked this vest… now it was going to smell like her. Something in my brain perked up at the thought, and my I took a shallow breath. My vest… my shirt… they were going to smell like _her_. Thoughts fluttered through my head like butterflies, erratic and strange… I was going to have even more to think about when I was trying to sleep tonight. She was going to keep me from sleep with her voice, her smile, and now her _scent_. Oh, God her scent… what did she smell like?

No. I couldn't do this, not anymore. It was too much to be caught up by her optimistic, sarcastic, better-than-you personality. She was still holding onto me, and I still had my back to her. It was better that way. If I wasn't looking at her, I didn't have to get caught up in her eyes like I had before.

"Please, excuse me."

I tried to be polite, but the girl didn't release my vest, and now several people were entering the classroom to begin a different class while we stood frozen in time. Every passing second seemed longer than the last, and I grew more and more uneasy as more students filled the desks. The girl's hand, tight in the fabric of my vest, loosened just enough to have her palm flat against my back between my shoulder blades. Her fingers reached out along the soft velvety fabric of my vest, and I closed my eyes just enough to distort the reality of people in the room to nothing but a faint blur.

No one else was here; it was just the girl and I. Her hand, warm and soft against my back; it was an anchor tying me to the world and keeping me from melting into a sappy puddle of vampire. Her voice was so quiet I almost didn't hear it when she whispered.

"You don't have to hold your breath…" There was a tone in her voice that I couldn't quite name. "I'm not going to hurt you…"

My eyes went wide; she noticed that I wasn't breathing. With a heart that didn't beat, and lungs that held no life, I didn't need to breathe. I had gotten by in this school without fake breathing for so long, but now she had noticed. I shucked in a quick gulp of air, so sharp it nearly whistled between my gritted teeth.

"_Please,_ excuse me."

Taking one step away from the girl, I immediately felt out of place. Without her comforting hand on my back and her soothing voice, I was left in the dark. That was fine, I told myself… I was a vampire, and darkness was my ally. Leaving her alone was the best thing to do.

It was October 31st, Halloween night, and I was on the second floor of our house in my bedroom, wide awake even thought it was getting late. Through the cracks in my heavy drapes adorning my window, I could see the lights of houses on, and children racing down the lanes of lights, collecting treats. Several of these children were dressed as vampires, with white face make-up, long black capes, and disgusting fake vampire fangs on their mouths.

My nose scrunched up at the sight of them. Normal children were strange to me; I hadn't been a child for so long, the concept of them seemed odd to say the least. Vampires didn't wear capes anymore; if we did, how would they blend in with everyday life? Simple: We wouldn't. Also, vampires were only pale because we couldn't go out into the sun. Our skin was almost twenty times as sensitive to a humans' skin, so we would receive harsh sunburns, despite our speedy healing.

My mother stood in the doorway, watching me carefully. If I had any common decency, I would turn to face her, but I was busy watching a vampire imposter toss a carton of eggs at the house across the street.

"Roderich…"

My mother called softly from the doorway, walking across the old wooden floor to stand behind me. If a human had walked across the floor, the old boards would have creaked noisily, but my mother was a vampire, and we were trained to be stealthy from the moment we were born.

She rested her hands on my shoulders, and smiled as she gazed out the window with me.

"You can go outside, my darling. Tonight, you don't have to be cautious. Go have fun."

Every muscle in my body tensed; I did _not _want to go outside to spend time with these disruptive, destructive, and obnoxious children. Where would the fun be in that? There wouldn't be any fun, and I would merely be caught in the outside world with nothing to do but wander until the children went home. Even then, I wouldn't have anything to really do.

For a moment, I thought about the girl with no name, wondering if by chance I would see her if I went outside. Probably not; the chance of finding one girl out of an entire city was highly unlikely. I pushed the idea from my mind, and shook my head.

"You already have me attending a human school, mother. Can't I have this one night to stay away from them, please?"

Turning to face my mother with a tired expression I caught the look of empathy in her eyes; she knew that I disliked school. It was one thing to give me a charm that would allow me to not burn in the sunlight, and interact with humans freely, but having me go to a high school made me feel weak on several different levels. Not to mention the encounter that I had had with the girl with no name; she had made me feel very strange… let alone the fact that I was attracted to her for some strange reason.

Nonetheless, my parents said it was for my own good. Even though I can fit in the society fine, they said I had to learn to interact with humans, and observe them in their natural state. I had to learn what they did for introductions, polite conversation, and other pointless things I learn in the eighteen hundreds.

Both my mother and I turned to window again as someone knocked on the door. Our door. No one ever comes to our 'haunted' house… much less; no one knocks on the door. I turned to my mother for an answer, but she looked as confused as I was. Moving faster than any human possibly could, I was swiftly out of my room, moving down the stairs and in front of the door in seconds.

I would open the door, and tell them to go away… I didn't care if it was Halloween.

Opening the door slowly, I allowed the hinges to creak loudly; usually, it scared people when this happened. Not this time, I supposed. The girl behind the door jumped into the doorway, and screamed two words at the top of her lungs.

"Happy Halloween!"

My first reaction was to scream, but nothing came out of my mouth. Instead, I vanished. Technically, I was on the ceiling. Well, I was standing on the ceiling upside-down waiting for her to go away.

The girl didn't go away, though; she stood up straight and looked from her left to her right. She had white hair, and red eyes. It was the girl with no name. It almost lost my balance and crashed to the floor in an ungraceful heap of vampire, but miraculously I held myself to the ceiling and watched her with an interested expression as she took small steps into the house.

Instead of sporting her usual thick black combat boots that stomped loudly on the linoleum tiles at school, she was wearing little black flats that made her noticeably shorter. Her usual blue tank top and black short-shorts had been traded in for a black dress that flared out around her knees - which reminded me of the nineteen fifties – and a silky black cape that trailed around her ankles.

All I could think about while I sat on the ceiling was her eyes on the back of my head day after day in every class we had together. Honestly, who stares at someone so obviously? She didn't even care that she was staring, either. Sometimes I wondered if her parents had ever told her that staring was impolite; knowing her, she probably stared at them to prove she didn't care. More to the point, she would stare at me for hours on end, ignoring the teacher and burning holes in the back of my skull while I wrote down notes. Then there was the incident with me trying to talk to her about leaving me alone, and I passed right by her like a moron.

The albino girl was more impolite than I thought; she walked further into my house, taking advantage of the open door. She took small steps, looking around in a paranoid fashion as she explored our front entrance. There wasn't much to see; directly through the door was a dark hallway that led to our kitchen, and then our dining room. To the left of that hallway was a flight of stairs that led to my bedroom on the right, and my parents to the left. To a human, the house must've looked deserted when we didn't use lights, but we preferred using our heightened vision.

"Hello?"

She called into the house earning an eerie echo of her voice. I knew that my mother was upstairs, probably listening to this entire encounter, and not stirring in her room. Gently, I crept down the wall on my hands and knees, slinking silently across the floor until I stood behind the girl. The darkness of our house had gotten to her; her heart was racing so loudly it was almost a beating drum.

"What do you want?"

My voice was much quieter than I thought it would be, and the girl screamed, jumping forward and falling to the ground. She skittered back across the floor as she noted how close I was to her. I forced myself to contain a satisfied smile; I hadn't really _scared_ anyone since 1843 when a man had tried to take my wallet in an alley, and it was very satisfying to scare this intruder so easily.

She swallowed nervously, standing up on shaking legs, and backing up until she hit the banister of stairs. There was fear in her eyes, and it reflected in the very lovely sound of her heart that continued to race in a strange fashion. How could her heart beat that fast and she didn't feel tired? The human body was still a mystery to me. I wanted to reach out, and tell her to calm down. I wanted to place a hand on her shoulder and reassure her that I wasn't going to hurt her… the same way she had done for me.

"How did you _do _that?"

Her voice had a strange accent; I had noticed it when she had cornered me in the back of the classroom earlier that day. Let alone all of the times she would whisper to her friends about how pale she thought I was. Yes, my hearing is several times better than a normal humans', and yet they still think that James Bond is the go-to man for spying. Who knew?

"I was right here the whole time," I lied to the girl. "Didn't you see me?"

The albino shook her head wildly, causing her platinum hair to flick the sides of her face. She was gripping the railing of the stairs much tighter than required; that indicated fear and discomfort, but her heart rate had slowed significantly since I answered her question; that made me feel a bit better.

"No… no you weren't! You disappeared!"

What would I say? 'Sorry, that was just a reflex! Last time someone barged through our door, they threatened to kill my parents and me!' This girl might not buy that excuse. I tried to seem nonchalant like a normal teen, and I shrugged loosely.

This girl didn't seem to understand that a lie was a lie, and I was going to stick by it no matter what she said. So, like any normal teenager, she bugged me about it.

"So like, did you use some sort of magic spell?"

My thin lips broke into a smile without my trying; spells? Really? What was I, a warlock? Goodness, if she wanted spells, she could go down the street to her British friend, Arthur.

"No."

"Okay, did you use a cool teleportation device from the future?"

I made a face at that one.

"No."

"Oh! What about…"

"I said no."

The girl frowned, and folded her arms over her chest. The manner in which she stood put me on edge, as if I knew that she was going to put up a fight if I tried to kick her out. It was almost ten o'clock, and my father would be home soon, so I would want to get this girl out of the house as soon as possible so he wouldn't bite her head off.

My father was usually upset with humans of all kind when he came home; he was an important lawyer in a large law firm in the city, and all day people came to him with stupid lawsuits and restraining orders gone wrong… my father loved to argue, though. It's why he became a lawyer in the first place, if he was going to have a job with humans, he wanted to enjoy it. My mother would merely smile and laugh when he came home, raving about how the human race would eventually cave in on itself.

Now, I believed him.

"I didn't even ask you anything."

She pouted sourly, tapping her black clad foot on the ground impatiently. Another sigh escaped my lips, and I shook my head. She was so _difficult_. Why did she have to push so much?

"You didn't have to. I didn't use magic tricks, or special devices. I was right here."

My lie was weak, but she couldn't prove me wrong. In the time that she had poked around our house, she never once looked back. And as everyone – except her – knew, looking behind you is the most important thing to do when exploring a 'haunted' house. The girl shook her head at me, and stomped forward until she was only steps away from me.

"No, you weren't. Don't lie to me."

If my own heart could actually beat, it might've stopped. The force behind that demand rattled my brain, and I opened my mouth to say something in response, but nothing came out. What would I say to that? I couldn't think; she was so _close_. The smell of the perfume she was wearing was intoxicating, and my brain refused to function. One drawback of being a vampire: heightened sense of smell. It made it so everything was much smellier than humans knew. I swallowed uneasily, trying to tear my gaze from hers.

"I'm not… lying."

Lying was the basics of being a vampire. Don't tell humans the truth about you, or they'll hunt you down, the government will use you in experiments; the list goes on and on. I had lied a thousand times before this, so why did it feel different now? The look in the girls' eyes was unnerving in a way that I didn't understand, and I felt very confused by it; the strange look in her eyes was different than any of the looks she had given me at school. This was much more… insightful; as if she knew something that I didn't.

"Gillian! Let's go, before you get eaten by whatever monster that lives in there, chica!"

A voice sounded outside my front door, and the albino girl – who I now knew was named Gillian – leaned around me to peek outside. There were two girls waiting at the edge of the walkway that led to my front door, and both of them seemed genuinely afraid. One girl was dressed as a flamenco dancer, with her curly brown hair tied up a tight bun, and a dainty red flower pinned to her hair. The other girl was dressed as a French maid; her silky, wavy blonde hair was pulled back in a hair band and a lacy white maid cap adorned her head. They were the same girls that had pushed Gillian to talk to me; I would never in my undead life tell them that I was grateful, no matter how happy I was that she was here.

"Oui! Come on, Gillian!" The blonde nodded quickly. "We'll get in trouble!"

"Not yet!" Gillian shouted around me. "I'm talking to the vampire!"

Faster than the human eye could follow, I slammed the door shut, blocking Gillian from her friends. She just went out and announced something like that for the entire world to hear? I flitted to the stairs, catching my mother at the top. She had an amused smile on her face, as if Gillian was the most entertaining thing she had seen or heard in years.

"Hey! Now you can't tell me that you were here the whole time, you liar!"

Gillian's voice bounced off of the walls of our immense house, and I glared at the sound of it. I never knew that she was so _noisy_; it was as if she thought it was her civic duty to by disruptive. My mother prodded me back, trying to make it easy to see that I really didn't have any other option than to talk to Gillian. It was strange; I had always ignored my parents when they told me that we might need human allies. I wondered if my mother would want Gillian to be my 'ally'. There were too many emotions when it came to her, and I was quickly becoming enticed by the albino.

Even if I loved music, I would rather listen to her speak… I would be ecstatic if I got to listen to her hotheaded rants every day. Her personality was a breath of fresh air in a smoky building. Wonderful; I had only known her name for ten minutes, and I was already singing her praises. Nonetheless, my mother steered me forward, unbeknownst to my feelings toward Gillian.

"So sorry, Gillian was it? You know how drafty these old houses can be."

My mother's voice was calm and even as she descended the stairs. I was behind Gillian again, impatiently waiting for her to turn around. When she did, she screamed again, tripping on the edge of her cape, and careening back toward the ground. If she had been anyone else, I would just let her fall because I really didn't care, but something sparked in my lifeless chest, and I sprung forward.

A fraction of a second passed, and I held Gillian inches from the ground. Our faces were centimeters apart, and her eyes squeezed shut as she prepared herself for an impact that wasn't going to come. Defying gravity didn't take much concentration, but hovering a few inches above vertical ground holding Gillian was difficult. Her heart was pounding loudly again, and my left hand around her waist felt unusually heavy beneath her weight. I held the back of her head in my right hand, stooping over her as I held her up.

Gillian opened her eyes a bit, and I saw me. She did what any logical girl would do: Scream. Really, _really_ loudly in my ears. I immediately dropped her to the ground, standing up straight and clamping my hands over my ears. There was a loud high-pitched ringing in my eardrums, and I hoped that it would go away after some time. Now, I was rethinking the fact that I liked the sound of her voice. Really, I'd be lucky to hear _anything_ after that scream. I was already standing up before she hit the ground, and through the ringing I could hear her hit the floor with a huff.

The air left her lungs in a loud whoosh, and it cut of her scream in a slice of blissful silence.

"My goodness that was quite a fall… are you alright dear?"

My mother was next to Gillian in a second while I tried to regulate my hearing. She propped the teenager up, and brushed some dust out of her ruffled white hair. Gillian looked at my mother, to me, and back to my mother with a confused expression. If there hadn't been that aggravating ringing in my ears, I would have probably heard the cogs turning in her head as she thought.

"Uh… yeah, I'm fine… how did you do that? You caught me…"

I wracked my brain, and came up with the only answer that didn't sound completely insane.

"Reflex."

I stated tersely, and I turned to my mother, rubbing my ear with a sour expression. Gillian laughed a bit, and gingerly stood up, brushing more dust off of her black cape. I loved her laugh; I had never really seen her laugh before. But here she was, laughing at me. Her lips kicked up in a bright smile, revealing perfectly straight white teeth, her cheeks were slightly rosy from embarrassment, but it didn't distract from her laugh at all. If anything, it added to the affect. Light and whimsical; those were the perfect words used to describe that laugh… very much like her personality.

"Well, you've got some fast reflexes, huh?"

Nodding, I took deep breaths to try and remain calm as my mother watched us converse. My mother was probably fascinated by the way Gillian spoke since she didn't say 'sir' or 'ma'am' or 'thank you', as people usually did back in the day. There was a moment of silence as I anticipated the next thing I was going to hear, and there was an expected knocking on the door.

My mother swept up behind me, and angled me towards Gillian as she quietly walked to the door. She swung the door open, and smiled at the two girls standing in front of her.

"Hello, girls. I'm sure you're looking for Gillian."

The two girls looked at each other, then back to my mother with slow nods. I took the liberty of grabbing Gillian's upper arm and dragging her to the door. She put up a fight; yelling, punching, and kicking me, telling me to let go. I didn't mind, it was interesting to see that she was having fun in my house, begging me to let her stay.

"I haven't even explored the dungeon yet!"

She whined as I tried to push her out the door. Without meaning to, I laughed at the mention of a dungeon; is that what humans thought we kept in our houses? Dungeons? My mother was back at the foot of the stairs, watching me with an amused smile. She obviously liked Gillian, and she obviously liked her for different reasons that why I liked her.

"We don't have a dungeon; now please leave."

The statement startled Gillian, and she stumbled out of the doorway and into her friends waiting arms. She whipped around again though, stopping the door from closing by sticking her foot in the door frame stubbornly. I could've slammed the door shut with vampire strength and left her without toes, but that would be rude. Instead, I reopened the door with a tired expression, trying to disguise my amusement.

"Do you need something?"

My tone was bland and annoyed as I spoke, but Gillian saw through it, pulling away from her friends to come close to me. She was at least a few inches shorter than me, but the look in her eyes demanded the respect of someone who was two feet taller.

"I know that you aren't normal. I know that you're different."

Her voice wasn't threatening; it was unnervingly calm, as if she had to make sure that I was okay with her knowing my family's secret. I tried to hide my terror with sarcasm, rolling my eyes indifferently as I spoke.

"Haven't your parents ever told you that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover?"

The emotion in Gillian's eyes didn't fade as she held her ground. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she pursed her lips. There was no certain evidence that I was a vampire, nor any of my family. For all she knew, we were just creepy. Instead of interrogating me further, she leaned forward and whispered lowly into my ear, causing me to stiffen.

"I can come back tomorrow morning. I want to talk to you, okay?" I didn't like the fact that Gillian was so close to me; her neck was uncomfortably close to my face, and I could hear blood rushing beneath the surface of her skin. She was talking to me still, and I struggled to focus on what she said. "You don't have to be afraid of me. I'm not a bad-guy."

"Roderich shouldn't be afraid of whom, might I ask?"

A voice called from behind Gillian's friends. Gillian leaned back and away from me, and turned to see my father standing behind the girls. Gillian's friends screamed and clung to each other desperately, as if they thought my father was a serial killer. To me, he just looked very tired. He was wearing his usual black suit with a grey vest. His hair was slicked back and combed neatly; all in all, he was a very attractive man, but that didn't erase the dark circles under his eyes.

"Friends of yours, Roderich?"

My father smiled at me questioningly as he scanned the people who stood on our doorstep. Gillian had backed into me, and continued to press her back against my chest as she looked at my father. I could tell she was intimidated, but the fact that she was leaning against me was intriguing. It was as if she trusted me. Her heart thrummed a bit too quickly to be normal, as if she was afraid to be caught so close to me in front of my parents. I opened my mouth to say 'no', but the inside of my mouth felt like sandpaper, and I shut it, drinking in the feeling of Gillian's left hand clasping my left wrist; warm and soft.

Being close to Gillian was strange; it was like watching a movie where there was one exciting thing happening, and then it switched to another exciting thing. The feeling was intoxicating, and my lips parted slightly as I struggled to maintain my composure. My father understood my discomfort, and swept his arm to the side, indicating that the girls could go down the path.

"Excuse me, young ladies."

He gave them a debonair smile with perfect white teeth, careful to hide his two very sharp teeth. Gillian remained glued to me as her friends shuffled down the walkway, waiting for her at the sidewalk with uneasy expressions. Gillian's heart rate had slowed again, but she was still _touching _me. Her back was pressed against my chest, and the hand that wasn't holding my wrist gripped my shirt sleeve tightly; why did she want to hold onto _me_? Honestly, she hardly knew me, and here she was, holding onto me. I clamped my mouth shut as I nearly began to drool; she smelled good. Not in a food kind of way, but like a substance. She smelled like laundry detergent, flowery shampoo, and a small waft of freshly cut grass.

Having Gillian standing with me like this was like being in a candle factory with too many smells at the same time. It was confusing, but oddly addictive. When Gillian finally let go of my sleeves, and started to pull away, my excited senses didn't want her to anymore. I gripped her shoulders, and pulled her back against me, ignoring the gasp of surprise that left her lips. Pressing my right cheek to her hair, I inhaled her scent… it was perplexing and enjoyable. Smelling her was like smelling a flower that had been sprayed with perfume after it had rained.

Gillian smelled like something from a different planet. Something I could wrap myself up in and never let go of; she was incredible. It was as if I could tell everything that happened in her life just by smelling her hair. That safe feeling again; the world melted away with her. With Gillian, the girl I had listened to for two months, I wasn't the strange new student from Austria. With Gillian, I was Roderich Edelstein, heir to the Edelstein legacy without any worries in the world. It was as if she knew me already.

I could understand Gillian… I could feel those emotions that were jumbled around in her chest. Standing her with Gillian was… peaceful. It was exactly like when we had been in the classroom earlier. The world disappeared, and it was just Gillian and I. She was leaning back against me taking deep breaths in and out through her soft, open lips. Her eyes were closed in relaxation as I gently exhaled into her smooth hair.

My eyes snapped open at the sound of my father clearing his throat. He had a clever smile on his pale lips, and he raised an eye brow at me as I looked up at him with an expression of agitation. I didn't want Gillian to leave, but this would seem strange to humans on several different levels. The whole time I had been going to the human school, I had rejected the idea of physical contact – including when Gillian had been with me in the classroom – and here I was, holding Gillian to me with a steadfast grip.

"I'm sorry." Releasing Gillian, I licked my dry lips. "That was incredibly rude, I apologize."

Gillian blinked, and turned around to face me once more. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and a sly smile played on her lips as she looked at me. My mood lightened; she was smiling because of _me_.

"Well, do I smell really good or something? You can be honest."

My body screamed at me to say no, and pretend the whole thing was a play of teenage hormones, but the understanding way that Gillian looked at me made me answer truthfully.

"Yes… you smell very good. I've never smelled anything like you."

That would've sounded strange to anyone but me, but Gillian merely smiled a satisfied smile, and nodded as if this was common information. My father still stood on the stone walkway, waiting to enter the house, while Gillian's companions waited patiently at the sidewalk for her. I was about to suggest that she go with her friends when she leaned closer to me again.

"I'll come over tomorrow, and you can tell me _exactly _what I smell like."

Automatically, I opened my mouth to protest, only to clamp my mouth shut as Gillian leaned closer and her lips pecked my cheek. My mind spiraled in several directions, throwing my fight of flight responses to the wind, I savored the moment. Two seconds; that was all it took, and the feeling of Gillian's warm lips on my cold, lifeless cheek was gone.

Gillian pulled away, gave me a quick wink, and bounced away to her friends. I watched in confusion as they ran down the street giggling about how Gillian was such a tease, and they went to several houses to trick-or-treat. My father came to the doorway to stand beside me, watching the girls with me, and smiling at my befuddled expression.

He gave me a quick clap on the shoulder, and steered me inside, closing the door behind him gently. My mother was in front of me instantly; I thought she was going to yell at me for not telling me about Gillian, or the fact that Gillian probably knew what we were. But my mother was smiling and talking much too quickly for human ears to follow.

"Oh, Roderich… you should have told us about this girl earlier… she seemed very nice."

My mother kissed my forehead, and pulled me close in a tight embrace. I blinked in confusion; why wasn't she mad at me? Gillian was a human… and she had no problem with Gillian kissing me. Well, my mother had all sorts of theories that allies are never _just _allies, so I supposed she had some sort of motherly scheme of throwing Gillian and I together. I pulled myself from my mother's grip, and looked up at her motherly visage. She seemed… proud of me for some reason. I couldn't really understand why, though… and I wasn't going to let her be the reason I wanted to be with Gillian. I wanted to be with Gillian because… damn it, now I was admitting that I wanted to be with her. Well, I suppose hell just froze over.

"You look a bit out of sorts, son."

My father smiled down at me with a pleased expression on his face. This whole ordeal wouldn't have happened if Gillian hadn't come to our house. Really, it was all Gillian's fault that I felt this way. If she wasn't so… _perfect_ I wouldn't have been feeling that way. Instead of talking to my parents, I headed down the hall to the kitchen to get something to drink; being with Gillian was exhausting, emotionally and physically.

The fridge held my salvation; I just needed something cool to drink… that was the answer; something to drink, and calm my nerves. I was all strung out from Gillian's scent, I couldn't focus anymore. I opened the fridge door to grab the nearest bottle of red liquid, pleased to see that it was deer blood. Unscrewing the cap quickly, I fetched a glass from the cupboard and poured myself a healthy dose of the cold liquid.

My parents followed my lead, each pouring themselves a glass as I chugged my second glass of the blood, reaching for a third. My throat still felt dry, and I didn't understand why. My father chuckled as I sat and stared at my glass with a dejected expression.

"So… are you ready to talk, now?"

I heard my father's glass clink on the counter as he set it down, and I nodded slowly as I stared at a bubble in my glass. I poked the bubble of trapped oxygen, earning a small splotch of blood on my finger; I licked it away as I continued to stare at the full glass of blood. My mother sighed, and came to stand next to me, wrapping an arm around my slender waist and pressing a kiss to my hair as I pursed my lips in concentration; it was nice that my parents were kind to me, and I loved them. But, I wanted Gillian to come back.

"She… kissed me."

The statement sounded extremely dumb coming from my lips, but I had to say it out loud. If I didn't, I would probably guess that all of this was just my imagination. Bringing my hand to my cheek, my fingers lingered over the place Gillian's lips had touched, searching for any trace warmth; there wasn't. There was a stretch of silence as my father smiled widely at my blank expression.

"Yes, she certainly did, darling."

My mothers' words were slow and easy, as if I was a spooked animal and she had to be careful or I'd go running up the stairs and into my coffin, never to return.

"So, she's coming back tomorrow?"

I listened to my father, and debated what this would mean. Tomorrow was Saturday, and that usually meant that I would take advantage of the time without school, and sleep all day. My father had to get used to sleeping during the night also, and disliked it just as much as I did, but the entire family loved the weekends. Everyone could sleep during the day on the weekends; except tomorrow, apparently… my parents had strange expressions on their faces, as if they wanted to say something. They were going to talk about Gillian, I knew it. What else would they talk about now?

"Even if I told her not to, she probably would've come anyway…"

I frowned at the statement, and set my glass on the counter, no longer thirsty. My father nodded thoughtfully, and placed a finger to his lips; he always did that when he was thinking. I could feel my mother running her fingers through my dark brown hair, and I closed my eyes when she kissed my hair again. I wondered what it would be like for Gillian to run her hands through my hair, talking to me about nothing the way she did with her friends.

"We'll have to talk to her, then."

My head snapped up to meet my father's eyes and I tried to hide a smile when he stated the news. I failed; my smile was apparent, and he grinned back at me as he calmly climbed up the wall. He was standing vertically on the wall, pacing back and forth as he thought. My mother nodded in agreement, and looked to me with a warm smile.

"This girl is persistent; we'll see if she can handle our secret."

"Will she be our ally?"

I sounded too hopeful, too wishful, and too… love-struck. My parents noticed. My father turned to look at me, and lowered himself to the floor with an interested expression.

"You can't honestly tell me that you haven't had issues at school, can you Roderich?"

My father folded his arms over his chest, and raised his eyebrows. Reluctantly, I shook my head, studying the ground and wishing I could disappear through the cracks in the floorboards. Well, I could… but my parents would eventually find me. Yes, I had troubles at school… getting too thirsty, someone came too close to me… the list was very long. If I had a sort of escape from these situations…

"Then, it may be nice to have a human to helpyou, don't you think?"

My mother carded her fingers through my hair again, and I sighed happily. Gillian was coming back tomorrow. We were going to ask her to be our ally. She might say no… but, she might say yes. I let my mind weigh on the latter. Pulling myself from my mothers' grasp, I headed toward the doorway that led to the hall.

"Where are you going, now?"

The way my father spoke made it clear that he thought I was going to run out of the house and find Gillian to tell her at that very moment what we were planning, and I turned back to smile at him. I raised my hands in surrender, and continued walking backward down the hallway toward the stairs.

"I'm going to sleep. Gillian is coming over in the morning, and I don't want to be yawning the entire time."

The older vampires smiled kindly, and nodded in understanding. My mother leaned against my father and wrapped her arms around him as she spoke to me.

"Good night, darling."

I left my parents in the kitchen, and swiftly ascended the stairs, hearing the idle chat of my parents as I slid into my room. My room was the same as when I had left it; the curtains were drawn, and my coffin still sat in the left corner of the room, dusted and clean unlike the rest of the room. My coffin was made a red stained wood, giving it a burgundy color. This coffin was a gift from my parents when we had moved to America; they told me that a new coffin may help with forgetting our old home.

We had moved from Austria two months ago; several people had witnessed me when I had a blood deficiency and I had almost attacked a child. My parents knew we couldn't stay… so we came here, to America in hopes that we could go few hundred years without being discovered. In a time period of two months, and girl named Gillian figured it out as if it were completely obvious.

I opened my coffin, looking down at the cushy inside of it sadly. My body didn't want to sleep, it wanted me to climb walls, fly over rooftops, and drink with my parents. Gillian was coming tomorrow… I would probably have to be awake for her; otherwise she'd break into the house and poke around, finding solid evidence that we were vampires. She seemed like the kind of girl that would keep looking until she really proved her point.

Sighing quietly, I took off my shoes, and lowered myself into the red silk-lined interior gently. There was a handle attached to the inside, and I tugged the lid down, enveloping myself in inky blackness. Darkness was my sanctuary; it was the one place I could turn the rest of the world off, and relax into nothingness… but, I was just as calm when I was with Gillian.

In the darkness of my coffin, all of the noises from the outside world were gone; it was silent. It was my own corner of the world where no one else was. With Gillian, the world wasn't dark, but it wasn't light either. It was a strange purgatory where she and I stood face to face, contemplating what would happen next.

Gillian was my own breed of silence; gathering up all of the unimportant things and tossing them away, forcing me to focus on her. In my coffin, it was just… empty. It was the sound of silence, and nothing more. With Gillian, silence was a symphony; the beat of her heart marking time, and the grand crescendo of her breathing… Gillian was my own version of Sonata Number 9; simply beautiful.

I clung to the idea as I clasped my hands over my chest. Gillian was… different, but she wasn't the same as darkness. It wasn't just me anymore. Closing my eyes, I tried to push her from my mind the way I had done very successfully for the past few months, but tonight was different. Tonight, Gillian was in my dream with her hand on my back, telling me not to be afraid.

Smiling lightly, I allowed her to sweep me away into a dream, listening to my symphony as I drifted to sleep.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, well, well... It seems that one person (who, by her request, shall not be named) didn't like my first chapter.

It's understandable, so I fixed it up a bit.

Please, please, PLEASE,

if you think I should change something, feel free to make a shout-out in the comment section.

Although, if you don't want people to be mad at you for saying certain things, that's okay too.

You can PM me if that's easier.

Thanks you for being patient everyone,

Thanks to re-readers,

Thanks to all newcomers!

See you next chapter!


	3. Trusting the Prussian

There was a knocking sound on my coffin, and my eyes snapped open. It couldn't be Gillian; she wouldn't honestly go knocking on whatever coffin she thought was mine… would she? She did seem rather reckless, so she probably would… she didn't wake up my parents did she?

I quickly opened the lid of my coffin to be greeted by my disgruntled father. He was in his white dress shirt that he always slept in, and his clean black dress pants. The shirt wasn't all the way buttoned, indicating he wasn't fully awake yet, and his usually bright blue eyes were dark and agitated.

"Gillian is here."

He mumbled to me, turning on his heel and pointing to my bedroom door sourly. There was another knocking sound, but this one was further away; it was the front door. I swung my legs over the edge of my coffin, and pulled myself out as my father grumbled out the door and back to his own bedroom slowly. My head ached with the change in my sleep pattern and my body screamed in protest as I put on my shoes and headed for the stairs quickly.

Gillian was pounding on the front door incessantly, and I wrenched open the door to see her smile at me brightly. Normally, I'd love to see that smile, but I was too tired to notice. She was wearing her usual a tight black tank top, and a pair of grey skinny jeans that were tucked into her black combat boots. Giving her a lazy nod of my head, I looked at the scenery behind her. I squinted out into the November morning sunlight, and bit back a yawn.

"Do you have to knock like that this early in the morning?"

The albino stopped smiling, and cocked her head to the side, pulling out her iPhone to check the time. I waited patiently as she swiped through different applications before turning back to me with a wry expression.

"Early? Dude, it's like… Eleven thirty." Then, she gasped, and leaned forward to whisper in my ear secretly. "Were you guys _just_ going to sleep?"

Rolling my eyes dramatically, I pulled Gillian inside, closing the door heavily behind her. Gillian stumbled forward, and looked around the house. In broad daylight, it must've been a lot less scary to her, because she started to wander around the front entrance, looking up at the high ceilings and noting the large paintings on the walls with slight nods.

"Cool house."

She stated tersely, clasping her hands behind her back and wandering further into the house. I followed her closely, making sure she didn't go anywhere unsupervised. When she headed for the stairs, I flitted in front of her, appearing in front of her much faster than she anticipated.

"You can't come up here…"

I said, unsure if my parents really wanted Gillian rummaging around upstairs where our bedrooms were. Gillian's mouth stretched in an understanding 'oh', and she backed away from the stairs slowly. A sly grin came to her lips, and she raised her hands in mock surrender as she whispered to me unnecessarily.

"Is that where you keep the torture devices?"

Before I could answer, I heard my mother and father laughing from the top of the stairs.

"Torture devices? What kind of people do you think we are?"

My father asked Gillian brightly as he walked down the stairs slowly; it was slow for me, but for a human it would be a normal pace. My mother followed behind him, stopping next to me to give me a quick kiss on my cheek. I swore I heard Gillian giggle, but I refused to look at her; I was still very tired.

Gillian had infiltrated my thoughts, and kept me awake until the sun rose. When the sun rises, my body automatically forces me to sleep if I haven't yet. That darn Gillian kept me awake; she made me wonder about that stupid kiss, and why she did it. She made me think about whether or not she would kiss me again, and what it would feel like. I didn't like staying awake and thinking about such things… and now, I was extremely tired.

"Sorry, I guess that's a little stereotypical. Unless you guys aren't vampires, in which case… are you zombies? Wait… do zombies sleep? Or do they just stay awake all the time?"

My mind tended to wander in several different directions when Gillian spoke like this; she wasn't _saying _anything. She was just rambling… about nothing in particular. My father obviously found it refreshing to not have people complaining to him, and he just stood there and smiled while Gillian rambled away.

"Stop! Just stop… talking." I finally said, bringing a hand up to silence her. Thankfully, she stopped talking with a little smile, and waited for me as I debated what to say. "Why don't we talk in the dining room?"

Gillian's eyes stretched wide, and I heard her snort as she tried to hold back a laugh by slapping a hand over her mouth. As she backed up towards the door as her heart began to flutter with excitement; my mother and father obviously noticed, because the two of them stiffened, struggling to contain themselves. None of us had been able to get anything to drink before Gillian came, and now we were all watching her intently as she trembled in amusement. Well, what's the day without a few awkward moments, right?

"Are… are you going to eat me?"

She managed between giggles; obviously this was some kind of joke that none of us got. Why was it so funny of me to suggest resigning to the dining room? I'd have to ask her later.

"Not if I get something to drink first, dear."

My mother replied in a chipper tone, and tugged my father down the hall to the kitchen. He followed quietly, muttering about Gillian in a low tone that the human ear couldn't understand. That left me alone to watch Gillian. I didn't want to sit here without anything to drink, so I motioned for her to follow me as I walked to the kitchen after my parents.

Gillian hesitated, but kept up with me as I swiftly made my way to the kitchen. She paused in the doorway, spotting my parents as they drank glasses of dark red liquid. I heard her gulp as her heart picked up pace again, this time fueled with fear, and I winced when my body told me to jump on top of her. I steered myself to the island in the center of the kitchen next to my parents where they stood facing Gillian, and picked up the first cup I saw, taking the jug of blood from in front of my father and pouring myself a glass.

"Is that… _human_ blood?"

My father laughed mid-gulp and sputtered blood onto the counter. My mother and I laughed too, confusing the albino with our reactions. I rushed to pluck a rag from one of the kitchen drawers, and continued to suppress a smile as my father's shoulders shook with silent laughter when I wiped up the droplets of blood on the tile counter.

"W-what?"

Gillian shifted uncomfortably, and I laughed at her uneasy expression. We hadn't had human blood for years… there were special blood banks for human blood, but it was easier to drink the blood of animals and not have to worry about the consequences that came from humans.

"This is not human blood." My father explained with a smile as he licked his lips. "We drink animal blood because humans don't take kindly to being bitten, and they usually respond my trying to kill us."

I rinsed the blood soaked rag in the sink and watched Gillian as she nodded slowly. She clasped her hands behind her back as she listened with her shoulders back, like a soldier at attention. Had she always stood like that? Without thinking about it, I turned my head back to the sink, and further elaborated.

"You know road kill? That's where we get our blood. Animals that are dead or dying… we don't normally kill them."

My parents went about their usual morning routine as I explained to Gillian, and she came to stand next to me. There was a very domestic feeling in the air as she did this, as if she spent her mornings with me all the time. After a minute, Gillian turned so her back rested against the counter, and she tapped her foot in a slow rhythm as she waited.

When I had finished washing my hands, I looked to Gillian with an open expression, and she smiled softly. Part of me wanted to walk away from the feelings bouncing around in my chest, and the other part of me said I should wrap my arms around her and disappear into her warmth. It was a confusing dilemma of what to do. In the end, I ignored both urges and walked back to the isle in the middle of the kitchen, and picked up the glass of nourishment that I hadn't gotten to drink earlier.

Gillian followed me, making me feel uneasy when she watched me take a few gulps of blood. After a minute of her staring at me, I set the glass back down on the counter, and raised an eyebrow.

"What? Why do you stare at me like that? You do it at school too, you know."

She blinked in surprise, as if she didn't know that it was obvious when she stared at people. I rolled my eyes, watching as my mother took the jug of blood from next to me and placed it back into the fridge. My father picked up a folder that I guess was a work file and placed it on the counter behind me, and read it as he took small sips from his mug.

"Nothing…" Gillian said quietly. I stared at her disbelievingly, and she smiled. "Okay, so… you guys are just like a normal family… not killing for blood or anything, or… or… planning how to overthrow the human race…"

My father laughed again, this time careful to swallow first. Gillian smiled at her stupid suggestion, and laughed with him. I smiled; at least they were getting along, and Gillian didn't seem like the kind of person who would go around telling the world that we were awful creatures. My mother leaned back against the fridge with a smile, and cleared her throat to gain the attention of residents in the kitchen.

"Shall we go to the dining room, and sit down?"

This time when Gillian heard the suggestion, she nodded and followed me as I picked up my glass and headed out the door and down the hall after my parents. Our dining room was fairly large, with a rectangle shaped table set for at least six people. My father took a seat on one side of the table next to my mother, indicating for Gillian and me to sit opposite them on the other side.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves; my name is Alexandra Edelstein."

My mother smiled at Gillian, and the albino smiled back. My father set his work aside, and placed his mug on the table, giving Gillian a fatherly smile.

"My name is Franz Edelstein; a pleasure."

I watched with a smile as Gillian nodded and smiled back at him with a reflection of warmth and intrigue in her eyes.

"I'm Gillian. Gillian Maria Beilshmitt."

My parent's flashed each other quick glances, and nodded to me subtly as they indicated that they were going to tell Gillian their plan. I sat down, watching as Gillian slowly took her place next to me, keeping her eyes on my parents as she shifted to get comfortable in her chair.

"Gillian," My father started slowly catching her gaze. "We would like to talk to you about the seriousness of what you know."

Gillian tensed, and nodded at my father. Her red eyes were swimming with questions, but those questions also shone with the glimmer of fear. I noted that Gillian's hands gripped the denim of her grey jeans, and she took slow, calm breaths. I wanted to tell her that it was alright, but before I could say anything, she turned to me with a nervous expression. I gave her the only thing I could think of: a smile. This seemed to relax her, and she instantly relaxed, letting out a breath I didn't know she had been holding.

"I'm sure at first, you were just guessing about Roderich being a vampire. Or perhaps, you and your friends were playing a joke on him… but, we allowed you into our house today. You saw us drinking blood, and you are still in our house. What do you think that means?"

My mother questioned as Gillian listened intently. The albino bit her lower lip, and thought about it for a moment, then some sort of realization flashed in her eyes as her head snapped up to stare at my parents.

"Are you going to make me a vampire?"

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped my lips, and I slapped a hand over my mouth as Gillian turned to glare at me. That glare nearly had me laughing again; with her red eyes glimmering with annoyance, she looked evil. She her perfectly white hair, she was bright and exciting. She was a walking contradiction. My father smiled and shook his head gently.

"No, we aren't. Gillian, what made you think that Roderich was a vampire?"

"Well… I think I just guessed it. Like, when he first came to school a few months ago, I thought he was from a private school and that was why he dressed so nicely, but the more I looked at him… I just figured it out. Then there's the whole thing where he didn't even breath for like five minutes one time..."

I could tell that my parents were amused by Gillian's method of thinking, but I was a little annoyed… how could she take that information and somehow make it sound logical that I was a vampire? It was why I didn't really understand Gillian, but it was one of the reasons I found her so intriguing. She was like a puzzle that was broken up in a million pieces, and I really wanted to put it all together and see the beautiful picture that it made. Well, I knew how beautiful the picture was. She was sitting next to me.

"That's an interesting way to think about it… I doubt anyone has ever suspected someone of being a vampire because they didn't _breathe_."

My mother smiled, pulling me from my thoughts. I had been staring Gillian while she had spoken, and I hadn't even realized it. I turned away from the teenager, taking a sip from the cup in my hands. My father took the liberty of pushing the conversation further.

"Gillian, we would like to ask you to assist Roderich in school. There will be times when someone will get hurt, or an accident will happen… someone will start to bleed. We would like you to help Roderich if that ever happens."

Shifting in her chair so she could lean forward onto the table with her elbows, Gillian gave my father a questioning expression. I liked her when she was like this; all business.

"How can I help?"

I was ready with that answer, and placed my cup on the smooth wood table as I spoke.

"Well, I may not be able to control myself. That's where you come in… you could take me from the room, or wherever it may happen. Back in the old days, people called it being allies."

There was a moment of silence where Gillian just stared at me, thinking intently as ruby eyes locked with my violet irises, and held me still. I felt myself falling, sinking into that quiet bliss that was _Gillian_; she pulled me up though, keeping my head above water as she spoke.

"I'm not dumb, Roderich. I know what it means to be someone's ally."

I heard my father chuckle, and I rolled my eyes indifferently. My mother took a sip of blood from her cup, trying to hide the smile on her lips behind the rim of her glass. I reached for my glass and took a large swallow, making sure to fight off any sort of thirst that might come from being with Gillian. The human next to me leaned forward to set her elbows on the table.

"I'd love to be an ally; it makes me sound super important, doesn't it? Like in a war, right? I was already pretty awesome to begin with, now I just got a higher ranking. Are you listening to me?" I turned to Gillian when I noticed her staring at me. I raised an eyebrow as she jabbed a finger in my direction. "Now, since I'm your ally, you're going to have to start addressing me with a formal name."

Looking to my parents for some sort of explanation, I felt my jaw drop. My mother was merely smiling at the way Gillian interacted with me, personally and smoothly. My father on the other hand was looking at a case file for work, nonchalantly ignoring the human in front of him like he was always doing at work.

"When did we decide that?"

I asked the albino, trying to pinpoint what exactly I had missed in the conversation. She merely shook her head, and made a 'tsk, tsk' sound with her tongue.

"No, you have to address me by my military rank."

My mood went from lighthearted to agitated in a moment, and I was no longer amused. Military rank? How was I supposed to know her military rank? This 'alliance with a human' thing didn't sound like fun anymore. I was still falling for Gillian; I just didn't think that I would be tested by her mimicry. Noticing my annoyance, Gillian leaned forward and whispered to me in a low tone.

"_Do you need a hint?_"

Her eyes glittered with laugher, and I found myself smiling. She was so _silly; _it was hard not to play along with her now. She had such an effect on me, I couldn't stay angry. I leaned forward so our foreheads nearly brushed against each other; it wasn't that difficult, our chairs were already very close.

"_Why are you whispering?_"

I replied in a hushed tone, trying to fight the wave of embarrassment that came as I noticed my parents staring at us. Gillian's face cracked into a smile, and her shoulders began to shake as she struggled to hold down a fit of laughter.

"_You started it, Roderich._"

I couldn't help it; I laughed. I laughed so hard, I rocked back in my chair. I hadn't laughed like that for… what seemed like years. What she had said was so stupid, so utterly untrue, it _wasn't _funny… the look on her face _was_. The thing that made me laugh was her. The way she fought back her own laughter just to blame me for her silliness. I loved it; she made me laugh. Her laughter echoed mine, bouncing off of the dining room walls and filling the room.

My mother's face was the picture of happiness; I think she knew that I hadn't laughed like that in a long time. When Gillian and I quieted down, my parents were still sitting with pleased expressions.

"I believe the two of you will get along, yes?"

My father smiled down at his file as if he read something amusing. Gillian wiped a tear from her eye, letting one last laugh from her lips as she nodded. My mother gave me a knowing glace, and I ducked my head down, avoiding the motherly gaze.

"Well, that took less time than I imagined." My mother commented, standing up and placing her hand on my father's shoulder. "I am absolutely exhausted, so I'm returning to bed."

She planted a kiss in my father's cheek, and he caught her chin before she could pull away, capturing her lips in a short kiss. It may have been a normal thing for married couples to do, but it was my parents, and Gillian was here. I swallowed a groan of embarrassment as my mother pulled away. My father turned back to his file and called over his shoulder when my mother left.

"I'll come back to bed in a moment."

I honestly knew that he wouldn't go back to be until he found the evidence he wanted, and until then, he would be a tired wreck. I stood from the table as well, leaving my father to reread his file as I motioned for Gillian to follow me. She took bouncing steps as she followed me back to the kitchen, giving my father a wave as she did. He didn't look up.

When we reached the kitchen, I finished off the last of my glass, taking large gulps to finish. Gillian pursed her lips, and watched me closely.

"Does it taste good?"

She inquired as I licked my lips. Thinking about it, I realized that blood had become a sort of energy drink that I was addicted to. If I drank it, I didn't get very tired. If I missed a serving of it, my body would crash and I would be a little… irritable.

"I suppose so…" I could see where this was going, and I glared at Gillian. "It wouldn't taste good to you, and I'm not going to let you try any."

Setting down my glass in the kitchen sink, I listened to Gillian complain about not having equal treatment, and that it was sexist for me not to let her taste a little just because she was a girl. Then she started talking about how we were in America, and everyone should have equal rights because of the Constitution. Listening to her argument, I washed my glass and dried it off, placing it back in the counter just as Gillian concluded her argument.

"… and that's why you should let me try it."

Realizing that I had ignored the whole argument, I smiled. I had only been listening to the sound of her voice; it was so bright, and energized. It was like talking to a light bulb that had just been plugged in for the first time… except Gillian could just keep on going forever.

"No, Gillian."

After her entire argument, Gillian didn't feel like putting up any more of a fight, and instead laid her head down on the kitchen island, huffing in disappointment. I listened to her mumbled in what I recognized to be German as I dried off my hands.

"Were you born in Germany, Gillian?"

She looked up to smile at me, and then pulled herself up to sit on the tiled counter. Obviously, the fact that I deciphered her German impressed her, and she held her head high as she spoke of her native country.

"Yeah, I'm from Germany. Usually, people ask if I was from Russia, or something… maybe my accent just freaks some people out. One time, I told this guy I was from Germany, and he asked me if I was a Nazi. What a weirdo, right?"

Gillian began to ramble again, and I leaned back against the counter, only catching small crumbs of information. She told me about how her father had come to America after receiving a job offer at a large engineering company, and her mother didn't want to move since he already had a stable job in Berlin. In the end, the job in America offered more pay, and they moved here to Washington. Gillian told me all about how her father loved his job, and he and her mother still spoke German at home. She told me about how she had to leave her kid-brother, Ludwig, in Germany and how she still missed him.

I wished she would slow down and tell me all of these things in detail. It was like I was receiving the short, summed up version of Gillian's life. It almost felt like a game show, and she had to tell me as much as possible before a buzzer went off or she wouldn't earn the over-sized check for a million dollars.

"Gillian," I started as she paused to think about whatever she was talking about. She looked at me with an open expression, waiting for any kind of question that was about to be thrown her way. "I enjoy hearing all of this; I really do… but slow down, please. I feel like I can't get a word in edgewise."

Gillian relaxed, and shrugged loosely with a smile.

"Oh, sorry. What do you want to talk about? We can talk about you now, okay? You're really old aren't you? Well, I guess you are, right? That's pretty cool… I guess that means you lived through both World Wars, which must've been cool, right?"

Wincing at the mention of the World Wars, I slapped a fake smile on my face, nodding at Gillian as enthusiastically as possible. Even at the age of two hundred and seventeen, I didn't really feel like recounting the times during the World Wars.

"Well, I suppose… it was… _cool_."

Cool was definitely _not _a word that I would use to explain hiding from Nazis when they rampaged through Austria. I wouldn't describe running from the Soviets as they decided to push communism onto Europe as _cool_. If anything, it was terrifying. The sounds of guns firing in the dead of night, hearing a scream down the street and ducking just to make sure you wouldn't be next… it was not _cool,_ but Gillian didn't need to hear all of the gory details. It would be best to just keep her entertained.

There was a pause in my thought process, and Gillian looked down at her feet before turning her gaze back up to meet mine. I could feel a wave of warm empathy in her eyes, and it washed over my cold heart with a force.

Gillian's words were unusually quiet for her; I expected a cocky, sarcastic look in her eyes, but I had gotten what seemed to be the genuine kindness. She slid off of the island, and stepped toward me, causing me to flatten myself against the counter behind me. Why did she want to be so close to me? I felt uneasy as she came to a stop a few feet in front of me.

"Gillian… you're very close to me right now."

Gillian nodded, and whispered: "Yeah."

"I don't really know what to do…"

That earned another: "Yeah."

"We shouldn't…"

"Yeah."

Gillian took a half step forward, and I found myself drawn forward, leaning down over her. I could feel her breath on my skin as I closed my eyes, pressing my cool forehead against her own warm forehead gently.

"This is a bad idea…"

"Yeah." Gillian whispered to my lips. "We should stop…"

I knew where this was headed, and I couldn't stop it as Gillian's lips met mine. Her hands slid up from her sides to rest against my shoulders. I kept myself calm, carefully feeling each emotion Gillian threw at me before allowing them to fill me up The world around me spiraled strangely, and I felt dizzy from the sensation of Gillian's lips on mine. When Gillian gasped, I would push forward, kissing her again; it was so natural to me.

She was a like the perfect puzzle piece that fit next to me. It felt natural to hold her in my arms, and to kiss her the way I did. I began to notice that she was breathing heavily, and I pulled back to allow her to breathe. Next time, I had to remember than she could actually have her breath taken away. Gillian took slow breaths as she looked up at me with her gentle red eyes.

Part of me wondered if it was alright that I had kissed her, but then I guessed that it was just the social conduct of the twenty-first century. Other high school attendees would come to school talking about how they watched something on the television about some person who had sex with some other person… and of course, there was some sort of secret relationship going on in the background. I supposed that the electronics of this era was influencing the way that people started relationships with each other.

Resting my forehead against Gillian's, I closed my eyes to listen to the sound of her breathing. It was so natural to her, and she didn't understand that I loved the sound of it. I had never taken a real breath in my undead life. I was born a vampire, with no beating heart or need for oxygen. All I needed was blood, and that was how I grew. Hearing Gillian breathe was like listening to the rain on a warm summer night, soothing all of my nerves until the world melted away.

"Roderich…" Gillian's words cut through my thoughts, and I hummed in response. "Do you sleep in a coffin? Or… do you sleep at all? Are you like those _Twilight_ vampires?"

My eyes opened slowly, and I pulled Gillian away from me with an arched eyebrow. She blinked at me with a blank expression, clearly curious about my sleeping situation. Sighing, I pushed my already perfect hair back from my eyes. My hair was eternally styled to be brushed back; my mother had asked a witch to cast a small charm on my hair to keep it neat and tidy in 1923, so we wouldn't have to worry about it getting in the way when we were busy worrying about other things, like the changes in Germany.

"Of course I sleep; and yes, I do sleep in a coffin."

Gillian's eyes stretched wide with awe, and an excited smile formed on her lips as she stared at me. My first reaction was to run away, or flit up onto the ceiling to get away from her, but I decided to stay on her level. It might be awkward it I just defied gravity to get away from her, and she would just be left standing in the kitchen, waiting for me to come down. An idea sparked in my brain, and I smiled at Gillian cautiously.

"Would you like to see my coffin, Gillian?"

The albino gripped the collar of my shirt, and pulled me forward until I was only millimeters from her face. With a smile like hers, I could only guess that she was plotting the demise of the human race.

"I've never wanted anything more in my _life_."

She whispered to me, and I swallowed nervously. Gillian could be seriously creepy about the strangest things; as if we were talking about whether or not she wanted to drive a stake through my heart… she was very, very serious about seeing my coffin. My body couldn't handle the tension anymore; I vanished from Gillian's grip, and she looked back and forth to try and find me. She finally turned around to see me standing in the doorway with my hands in my pants pockets, waiting for her.

Gillian squeaked in excitement, and hurried to follow me as I walked up the stairs. She admired every little detail of the house, only stopping to admire portraits of my parents and me that hung on the walls on the second level of our house. My room was down the hall to the right of the stairs, and Gillian padded along behind me with a cheerful expression as we wandered down the dark hallways. I was impressed by her bravery; if she hadn't known that we were vampires, the sight of our house, along with our antique weaponry hanging on the walls, would have scared her a bit.

Stopping in front of my door, I opened it and indicated that she was to enter first.

"Ladies first."

I stated as Gillian smiled wryly. She entered my room without hesitation, and immediately headed for my coffin. Leaving the door open widely, I joined Gillian by the side of my coffin. She slowly took one hand and ran it down the smooth red grain of the wood with wide eyes. It was as if she thought the coffin would jump up and bite her if she didn't treat it with respect.

"Do you ever get scared in there?"

Pursing my lips, I shook my head no. There was never any reason for me to be scared in a coffin. I was a vampire and I didn't need to breathe, so I wouldn't suffocate. If all else failed, people would merely think I was dead with the way I slept. It had saved my family more than once back home; people had seen my father's sharp teeth back in Austria, and he had slipped into a coffin. The towns' people thought he was dead, and what they had seen was a ghost. Sure, my family had to move to a different town, but the news hadn't really spread around about the ghost that wandered the streets of that town.

"Can… can I open it?"

Looking at Gillian, I noticed that she was a little spooked by the fact that I slept in a coffin. I smiled, and easily swung the casket open, revealing the silky red interior. Gillian inhaled deeply, and she licked her lips as she soaked in the sight of where I slept. Reaching out a trembling hand, she stroked the silk fabric that lined my coffin gently; she was so gentle, it was as if she was afraid that it would fall to pieces beneath her hands.

Taking a deep breath, I lifted myself from the ground and floated over my coffin, and slowly descended until I sat inside, looking at Gillian with a blank expression. She seemed surprised that I could fly, and her mouth hung open as she stared at me. I smiled and yawned, rubbing my eyes as I seemed to melt into the fabric of my bed. Gillian laughed at bit, and rocked back and forth on her heels.

"Did I wake you guys up this morning?"

"Well, I didn't get to sleep last night, so it's my fault I'm so tired."

The truth slipped out of my mouth before I even thought about it, and Gillian nodded in understanding. I raised my eyebrows in surprise as she lifted herself up, and slipped into the coffin to sit with me. I was sitting at the foot of the bed while she sat at the head, watching me with an understanding expression.

"I hate it when I can't get to sleep… especially when it's just my head, and it won't shut up… and I can't stop thinking."

She sort of grasped the concept of my dilemma, and I smiled at her point of view. She looked at the lid of my coffin, and stroked the same silky fabric that she sat on, and I smiled when she pressed her face to the fabric. Faster than I expected, Gillian turned to me, and pushed me. I fell back against the side of my coffin, hearing a soft crack as my arm connected with the hard wooden edge; Gillian didn't notice. It didn't hurt, so I bit back any sort of annoyed response that would've casually slipped from my lips if she was anyone else.

"Get out; I want to see what this is like."

I obliged, and swept myself out of the coffin, but held the door open before she shut it on herself.

"Gillian, you won't be able to breathe in there… I don't want you to get stuck."

She rolled her eyes, and pushed my arm away.

"Thirty seconds, you can time it! Then you can open the lid, okay?"

Without waiting for my approval, Gillian pulled the lid shut and was caught in the inky blackness that was the inside of my coffin. Immediately, I felt uneasy; what if she got scared and she couldn't find the handle to open the coffin again? Even if I was a vampire, darkness was still unnerving. The silence, the loss of the world around you… it was perfect for me, but for Gillian, it might've been a nightmare. I counted to thirty quickly, growing more and more anxious as I got counted another five.

Thirty took too long, and I swung the door open when I reached twenty-two. Gillian was lying perfectly still, with her hands clasped in front of her in the classical coffin stature. When I opened the lid, she opened her eyes to look at me, pursing her lips in annoyance.

"That wasn't thirty seconds."

She stated crossly. I sighed, grabbing her shoulders, and pulling her up into a sitting position before pulling her out of my coffin bridal-style. Gillian held onto me loosely, as if she was completely confident that I wouldn't drop her. Setting her down on the ground gently, I quickly pushed the lid of my coffin shut, turning to see Gillian beaming.

"That's so cool! It's so quiet in there… it's like there's nothing going on outside! You get to sleep there every night, you lucky son of a…"

"It's not all that wonderful." I interrupted her, causing her to stop and look at me quizzically. "You don't know how nice you've got it… you actually breathe when you sleep. You don't have to shut yourself in a coffin because you can hear every single car on the freeway that's miles away. You don't have to block out the rest of the world."

Gillian was very quiet, and opened her mouth to say something when her stomach growled. Startled by the noise, she jumped and wrapped her arms around her torso, glaring at the cause of the conversation interruption.

"Why am I such a _dumkoff?_ I didn't have anything for lunch before I left."

Raising my hands in surrender, I gave her an apologetic expression.

"We don't have regular food… I'm sorry."

Gillian merely shrugged, and fished into her pants back pocket to pull out her phone. She tapped the screen a couple of times, absently flicking a strand of her white hair from her face. When she found what she was looking for, she sighed and put her phone back into her pocket.

"It's almost one o'clock, and I didn't really tell my parents where I was going… I should head back home."

By reflex, I did what any common gentleman would do; I offered to escort her home.

"I'll go with you. It would be rude of me not to walk you home."

Gillian laughed a little, and gave me a joking punch to my shoulder.

"Don't worry about me. I'm a big strong girl; I can take care of myself."

She stated as we walked out of my room and down the stairs side by side. My parents flitted out of hiding, and stood at the foot of the stairs, waiting for us. Gillian grabbed by wrist in fear when my parents suddenly appeared, but relaxed when she reminded herself that we were vampires.

"Leaving already, dear?"

Gillian nodded, and took her hand from my wrist, shoving her thumbs in her front pockets coolly.

"Yeah, I don't want my parents to call the police again."

My eyes widened as she mentioned her parents calling the police _again_ with such a calm expression, and my father merely blinked with his usual business smile. He held out a hand for her to shake, and Gillian took it, shaking it with a force that reflected the German in her blood.

"Good to have met you, Gillian. Thank you for coming to our home."

"Thanks for letting me come," She smiled as she dropped my father's hand. "Your house is so cool! I wish my house was this awesome… and by the way, I'll make sure that Roderich doesn't go around eating people at school. No problem!"

She gave my parents a quick salute, and my mother gave her a trusting smile as I opened the front door for Gillian.

"I'm sure we can count on you, dear… thank you."

I shut the door behind us gently, turning to face the bright autumn sun. The leaves had already started to fall from the trees, and they danced across the front lawn of my house as a breeze churned the air. Gillian was standing in front of me, staring at me intently as if she was waiting for something. I looked to my left, then to my right, trying to see what she was staring at.

"W-what is it?"

My skin felt prickly as Gillian stared at me; it was as if her eyes were scanning over a new piece of data that confused the program, and wasn't able to compute. She pursed her lips, and shrugged as she turned around and headed for the sidewalk. I was next to her quickly, taking slow and steady strides that matched her uneven, quick steps.

"I thought vampires burned in sunlight."

She observed that I wasn't burning to a crisp or spontaneously combusting. Unless she was comparing me to the _Twilight _vampires again, wondering if I was going to start sparkling. I nodded, and puffed a breath off cool air from my lungs.

"I have a charm that keeps me from burning me in the sun."

I stated as Gillian watched me. My cheeks were probably red with heat, and I felt very uncomfortable. I would be much happier when the winter rolled around, and I wouldn't have too much sun beating down on me. My albino partner looked me up and down, probably trying to spot the charm. I let her stare; I knew she wasn't going to find it. The charm was a medallion that I wore on a chain around my neck, and I hid the medallion underneath my shirt. So, she would have to take off my vest and my dress shirt before she found the secret to my survival among humans.

"So… you just don't burn? Do you feel hot?"

"Yes, Gillian…" I said impatiently, loosening the collar of my shirt. "I feel very warm right now."

If I were a human, I would most likely be sweating at the current moment. Thankfully I wasn't, and I regained my usual composure as I continued down the street with Gillian. She began to ramble off different theories she had read about vampires, trying to get my opinion on each one.

"What about crosses? Are they _really _your secret weakness?"

"No, they are not. Vampires are mainly Atheists, so that legend must've sprung from someone's dramatization of our ideals."

She nodded thoughtfully, holding her hair back as another breeze swept through the air. It ruffled my shirt, cooling my heated skin, and I smiled. Spending time with Gillian was easier than I thought; there was only one time that she thought I would attack her, and now was completely fine with the fact that I was a vampire. The idea of having a human girlfriend amused me, and Gillian noticed my smile, stopping and turning me to face her.

"What's with the smile?"

She asked wryly, trying to sneak some sort of confession from me. The corner of my lips tugged into a smile, and I was about to answer when every part of my body told me to stop.

I tensed, looking up from Gillian, and scanning the street around us. Everything was quiet; it was the kind of silence that made anyone uncomfortable. There weren't any insects chirping, and no birds sang… not even a dog barked. It was completely silent on this street, and that made me nervous. Gillian didn't understand, and tried to talk to me.

"What…"

"Shush."

I held a finger to her lips, and listened closely to the silence; even in the distance, I couldn't hear any cars on the highway, and that wasn't possible. Either someone had stopped time around us, or there was a very sneaky warlock that wanted my undivided attention. Moving faster than humanly possible, I stepped in front of Gillian, holding my arm in front of her protectively.

"Show yourself."

My voice came from my throat in a menacing growl, and I could feel Gillian shiver behind me. I heard the distinct sound of laughter, and I knew who I was facing. Only one person could use a spell like that, and still be completely unfazed. I was up against a Kirkland. There was a strong breeze, and a series of leaves gathered up, forming into a cyclone before dropping peacefully at the feet of a tall blonde teenage boy with glittering green eyes.

"Good afternoon, Gillian."

He smiled calmly at the albino before turning to frown at me. He was dressed in formal wizard attire, with a heavy black velvet cape and a book of spells under his arm. I had known Arthur and his family for generations, and he hated the fact that we had moved to America. If there was anything I could say about Arthur for sure, it was that he didn't like me. The hate that burned in the Brits' green eyes seemed to make my skin feel even hotter than it already did in the sun.

"Oh wonderful… the dead walk the yards."

Arthur deadpanned as he looked me up and down; I dropped my hand from blocking Gillian, and stood up straight, rolling my eyes. Another thing I could say about Arthur was that he wasn't very original when it came to addressing vampires. He calmly flicked his cape out of his way, allowing it to flow gracefully behind him as he stepped up to us briskly, stopping a few feet away from me.

Power glowed in his green irises, and I nearly flinched at the sight; he was ready for a fight, and I had to choose my words carefully if I was going to walk past him without a scratch. Gillian reached out to me, and hesitantly gripped my shirt sleeve. I tried to seem like I didn't care; if Arthur knew I liked Gillian, my family wouldn't hear the end of it.

"Hello, Arthur."

My voice sounded a little bit gruffer than I meant it to, but it fit nicely with the tension in the air that had gathered due to Arthur's appearance. Gillian was holding my arm with a steadfast grip, and didn't seem like she was going to let go any time soon. Arthur gave me a dark smile that seemed to scream hostility, and he cocked his head to the side in a gesture of innocence.

"Why… why are you dressed like that?"

Gillian's voice cut through the air like a knife, pulling us from our psychological warfare. Arthur's eyes softened and held up his spell book as if the answer should have been obvious.

"I'm a wizard; I have to practice, you know."

There was an expression of pure confusion on Gillian's face as she thought that the suggestion of Arthur being a wizard was absurd. I bit back a smile as she shook her head, disagreeing with the British gentleman who had told her the truth.

"No… you can't be… I would've figured that out…"

"No one can know everything, Gillian; some people can keep their secrets better than others." Arthur spat venom at her, causing Gillian to turn into my arm. I didn't react as Arthur raised an eyebrow at her action. "Well… obviously, you're losing your touch, Edelstein. How many humans are you going to reveal your secret to?"

My jaw locked with the sudden urge to yell at Arthur. He had always been a thorn in my side, but now he was just being an all-around prick. Gillian noticed when my body tensed, and she looked up at my face, trying to catch my eye. I knew that I couldn't show any emotion towards Gillian, and I ignored her, giving Arthur the most aristocratic smile I had.

"That isn't any of your business, is it Arthur? I was just escorting Ms. Gillian home, please let us pass."

When the blonde refused to move, my smile became dark. I didn't like Arthur; he was obnoxious and noisy, and for some reason he thought it was his responsibility to stop me from going about my daily life just because I wasn't human. If he really wanted to make a big deal out of something that wasn't human, he could go talk to his girlfriend, Amelia Jones. I had learned on my second day at school that she was some kind of immortal; Arthur should've gone and bothered her instead of talking to me.

"Escorting her home?" The wizard asked me accusingly, looking to Gillian. "You understand that Roderich is a bloodthirsty monster, don't you?"

Gillian didn't respond, or more specifically, I didn't let her. I growled my response in a low tone that only Arthur could appreciate the cruelty of.

"You say I am bloodthirsty, but you do nothing to stop me. I find that interesting…"

Arthur gnashed his teeth together, and his grip on the spell book tightened.

"Are you suggesting I do something?" He smiled, lifting his hand to my chest. "All I have to do is snap my fingers, Edelstein; then I can watch you burn."

The cool metal medallion that was always hanging around my neck began to lift from the surface of my skin, and I slammed my left hand over it, keeping it under my shirt. The mere idea of the medallion being taken away made my body shake in fear; I hated the feeling of the sun on my skin. With heightened senses, my sense of touch was much better than humans, and the sun easily gave me blistering sunburns within moments of contact.

Gillian squeezed my arm and leaned against me, trying to spy the expression on my face. I admit it, I was terrified of Arthur. He was a trickster who could have whatever he wanted with a flick of his wrist; and people thought that _vampires_ were dangerous? My eyes were wide with shock at the fact that he was threatening to take my medallion away. His grandfather was the man who gave it to me, after all. Didn't that demand a little bit of respect?

"Stop! I don't know what you're doing, but stop it!"

The panic in Gillian's tone was clear, but she glared at her British neighbor with a fury that could frighten a gargoyle into hiding. Arthur merely smiled innocently, and lowered his hand. The arrogant way that he looked back at me sparked anger in my chest again, washing away the fear that had gripped me before. The Brit casually shrugged and gave me a classic fake smile.

"If you try to harm any humans, I won't hesitate to kill you."

His tone was quite chipper when he spoke, and I laughed as if it were an inside joke. Confusion oozed from Gillian, but I continued to ignore her as I attempted to wrap up my conversation.

"Yes, yes… of course you will. Now, why don't you go pull a rabbit out of a hat, and let us pass?"

Tension seeped into the air as Arthur lifted his hand, giving me a sly expression. This could go two ways; either Arthur would counter his spell, and return time to normal, or he would rip my medallion from my chest. I hoped that it wasn't going to be the latter.

Arthur snapped his fingers, and the sound echoed in my head as the spell took effect. Immediately, I heard a car rolling down the street with a blaring stereo, and leaves in the gutters rustled with a breeze. Arthur was gone, disappeared as quickly as he had come. I should've known that he would have been watching the way Gillian had gone over to my house. It was just a natural act of him protecting the human race from 'monsters' like me.

Gillian sighed dramatically, turning me so she could give me the tightest hug possible. It was uncomfortable for me, but she obviously found it relaxing. I pat her back twice gently, waiting for her to calm down and let go of me.

"What _was _that? Wizards are real too?"

"Yes, they are. It's a lot to explain…"

I mumbled into her hair as she squeezed my torso in an iron grip. I focused on how soft her hair felt against my face as she pressed the side of her head against my right cheek. The silky white strands of hair tickled my skin, and I smiled at the familiar smell of Gillian. Her scent was exciting and relaxing at the same time… it was like a conundrum locked up in a smell.

"Yeah…"

She whispered into my ear, resting her chin on my shoulder. Was this normal for humans to hug like this? I wasn't really used to so much contact, and now I was really unsure of what to do. Gillian had already kissed me, sat in my lap, laid down in my coffin, and now she was just sitting her hugging me… too much had happened in one day, but I decided to throw that fact to the wind.

Setting discretion aside, my arms wrapped around Gillian's shoulders, and I held her close. There were so many things I wanted to know about her, and I wanted to talk to her about _everything_. The reason of why I trusted Gillian so much was a mystery, and I wanted to solve it. Gillian was a riddle that mocked me when I couldn't find the right answer, but it also seemed to encourage me forward into taking the next step to solving the puzzle.

"You should get home before your parents worry."

My disappointment was clear in my tone, and I frowned when Gillian let go off me. I just felt hollow now that Gillian wasn't there to fill in the space around me. My brain was empty of thoughts, and there was nothing to think about. Gillian didn't understand my disappointment, and smiled brightly.

"I am home."

At first, I thought that it was a sort of joke that I didn't get. When Gillian pointed to the house we were standing in front of, I sighed. We had been standing outside her house the entire time. She had just been keeping me around to spend more time with me; in a way, it was charming. Gillian didn't want me to leave, which was nice. In a different way though, it was a little annoying; dreams about her had kept me from sleeping, she woke me up early, and now she was keeping me from going home to _go to sleep._ I enjoyed spending time with her, but I was still tired.

"Well goodbye then, Gillian. I'll see you tomorrow at school."

Turning on my heel to leave, I paused when Gillian quickly reached out to grip my hand. I was anticipating her next move, and I turned to face her as she stretched up on the tips of her toes to reach my lips. It was a short kiss, the kind of kiss someone would give to their spouse on the way out the door to work. As if it were completely natural for people to kiss like that on their second day of really knowing each other, Gillian smiled and let go of my hand.

"See you tomorrow, Roderich."

Her words were whispered in a low tone, like it was a secret that only I could know. I knew that Gillian had been fond of me before she came to my house on Halloween; she spoke to her friends about how cute she thought I was, or how smart she thought I was. Now, I was seeing an entirely different side of Gillian; she wasn't straightforward, she was slithering around the concept of what she wanted from me. It was rather impressive of her to be that sneaky; it meant that I would have to spend more time with her to figure out exactly what she liked about me.

With that, she turned on her heel and walked down the neat stone path that led to her front door, going inside. I heard a brief call from inside that sounded like German, but the door closed before I could clearly hear Gillian's response. A smiled came to my pale lips, and I exhaled deeply; it was going to be quite an adventure getting to know Gillian Maria Beilshmitt.

**AUTHOR'S ****NOTE**

Well, the second one is changed as well. I know, I know... I shouldn't go changing things like this willy-nilly just because some girl (who will remain nameless) told me that it was a little off.

But, I like how it turned out. No insta-shipping. That's a no-no.

Don't like the story? Tell me what went wrong by a comment or a PM. Unless it's Arthur.

Don't say that anything is wrong with Arthur. Then Arthur mad, and we don't like it when Arthur is mad.

Bad things happen to semi-good people... well, thanks everyone! See you next chapter!

Qi Li


	4. Winter Plans

Hesitation was a key component in this conversation. Gillian had been avoiding direct questions from the moment she had come to sit next to me in AP US History. Instead of talking to me, she waited until I had noticed her, and asked her if something was wrong. She responded with a: "No, is something wrong with you?" I wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.

It was winter now, and snow had started to fall yesterday. Naturally, this was a cause of celebration in my family. No more overheating in the sun with humans. Gillian and I had gotten to know each other over the span of one month, and she now knew all of my mannerisms. She would tell me every day in Composition class that she loved how I brushed my hair from my eyes, or how I would sigh every time I needed to think about an answer before writing it. I never really noticed these actions, but Gillian did. She said that it was obvious that I was upset when I had a certain expression, or I was happy when I tried to hide a smile. Wonder would always spark in my chest when she could read me so easily after knowing me for just four weeks.

Gillian tried to hide it, but she was a very easy person to read. When she was happy about something, she would smile at everything I said, no matter what it was. Once, I told her about how to count the electrons in a certain element, and she just smiled at me without batting an eye. It turned out, she had gotten an A minus on her English paper that I had helped her with. After telling me that in the hallway, I felt stupid about how I tried to help her with Chemistry when she wasn't even paying attention. After school, she made a point to kiss me to show she was thankful.

Even when she said she wasn't, I knew she was angry when she would play with her hair too much. I knew when Gillian was upset about something when she would start huffing and looking away from me to hide sour expression. I also knew that Gillian was nervous when she bit her lower lip and stared at the wood surface of the table when she spoke to me. Yes, Gillian was very easy to read despite her argument that she was not an open book.

Coming back to the present, Gillian was now biting her lower lip, and darting her eyes from the desk to my face when she spoke to me. Or rather, when I attempted to converse with her and she avoided presenting me any real answers. This method of conversation was uneasy, and I tried to finish the homework that had been given to everyone in the class by the teacher, looking down to my history book and scrolling down whatever was written on the page.

Gillian's nervous eyes watched me, and she shifted in her chair in discomfort. It was obvious that her feelings were in disarray, and she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. I decided to allow her time to figure out what she was feeling, and I continued to fill out my worksheet. My posture was cool and relaxed as I sat up straight in my chair, mildly scratching down the answers in the book while Gillian swung her legs back and forth underneath her chair while she thought.

"What is it, Gillian?" My voice sounded tired. "Do you want help with the homework, again?"

Despite my educated guess, Gillian shook her head wildly, turning the idea down quickly. It surprised me that I was wrong. Gillian merely looked down at the surface of her desk, and I watched her with a perplexed expression. She had been walking home with me almost every day since the weekend that she had come to learn my family's secret. We would work on homework, and she would drill me with questions about mythological creatures, and I would ask her about what she liked and disliked. Gillian liked to call it a 'date'. I wasn't quite sure what it was supposed to symbolize; I had grown up in the 1600's, and I wasn't exactly schooled in dating.

"No… why? Do you want to work on homework?"

Agitation flashed in my eyes, and I turned my chair towards Gillian, trying to understand why she was avoiding my questions. Usually, her bright demeanor would help the conversation flow easily, and she would bring up the next topic of which we would talk about. Now, Gillian was just seemed abashed that I wanted to speak to her at all.

"Gillian… what's wrong? You're acting strange…"

"You're acting strange."

She defended quickly, pouting as she glared down at her desk. Several pairs of eyes watched us intently around the room; I was always very distant from everyone, and even after a month of spending time with Gillian, my classmates still found it odd that the two of us were together every day. Frustration bubbled up in my chest, and I was getting a little short with her answers.

"Did I do something to offend you?" I questioned out loud, tapping the end of my pen on my history book, trying to ignore the whispers around the room that I could hear loud and clear. Most of the teenagers in the room were whispering about whether or not I had touched her and she didn't like it, others were wondering if she was pregnant and trying to break the news to me.

First of all, why would I have touched Gillian inappropriately? Touching Gillian in general was a chore for me. I had to keep myself under control, and make sure that I didn't allow my own urges to get away from me. Gillian knew this fact better than anyone in the room, I had stopped her several times when she had gotten a bit too close to me while I was thirsty, or when she would lean on me during school and she was wearing too much perfume. Secondly, the chance of Gillian being pregnant would be highly unlikely considering my first point. Given that she was very forward, and had an annoying sexual drive towards me, I was still very conscious of the fact that she had a beating heart and she had to keep it beating. Biting Gillian was a bad thing, and I always had to remind myself that when she would glue herself to me and kiss me.

"No… do I look offended?"

Gillian's question was annoyingly innocent; she couldn't hear the ideas being flung around the room about why she was avoiding my conversation. I was on the only one in the conversation that knew that we were being judged with every word we said, and frankly, it bothered me. If Gillian could hear all of these things, I wondered if she would actually just come out with whatever she wanted to tell me instead of keeping it secret, and prolonging the obsession of our conversation with our classmates.

Sighing, I set down my pen before I snapped it in half.

"No, you don't."

Talking to Gillian like this made my brain hurt; she didn't understand what I wanted out of the interaction, and I didn't know what she wanted. Usually, this would be labeled as miscommunication, but I wasn't sure if that would work because Gillian wasn't really communicating with me today.

"Jeez, what's your problem? Did you wake up on the wrong side of the coffin, or what?"

Gillian's words were too snide for my taste, and I gave her a sharp look. I must've been scarier than I thought, because she flinched away from me as soon as my eyes caught hers. Several of our classmates laughed at the coffin remark, labeling it as a joke. Finally, I could appreciate the stupidity of the teenagers of this generation. At least they didn't really question her bringing up the coffin, and they merely brushed it off as a lovers spat.

"Oh for god's sake, Gillian." I slammed my history book shut, giving up on the idea of doing my work.

She gave me an oblivious look. "What?"

"If there's something you want to say, you should say it. Haven't I always told you that?"

This remark made Gillian scowl. "I guess so…"

"So, out with it. What's bothering you?"

Pauses were also a key element in this conversation. Between my questions and hers, there was a least a minute of pause. This action, of course, annoyed me to no end. Humans always thought they had to answer questions as slowly as possible, when I on the other hand, liked to answer the question to get it over with. The faster you answer, the faster you can stop worrying about the answer. It was complicated logic, but it was true. Gillian opened her mouth, looked off into the distance behind my head, and closed her mouth again, contemplating exactly how to word her statement.

I took this time to admire her ensemble of the day; it was December, and naturally it was cold. Instead of her usual thin black tank-top, she wore a gray long sleeve shirt that clung to her torso. It had a hood lined with fur, and she left it down after the teacher had told her having it up was against the rules. She never took off her combat boots, though. She said they were a sign of rebellion, or some such nonsense. Gillian liked to stand out from the crowd, I had noticed. There was never a dull afternoon of studying with her; it was always different every day. We would go up to my room, she and I would sit in my coffin, side my side doing homework, telling each other stories about the past, and admiring each other's thoughts.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Gillian humming in thought, and I blinked as she started to chew on a piece of her long platinum hair. This was an action I had never seen Gillian do, and it fascinated me to no end. Why was she doing that? Could this be a new level of emotion that she had stuffed down beneath all of the others, just to keep me guessing? And here I was, thinking that I knew everything about Gillian. Will wonders never cease?

"Uh…" Gillian's red eyes finally found mine. "Can we talk after school?"

Each voice in the room hushed to a low hum, and everyone waited for my response. I, for one, was staggered. Talk after school? This wasn't the Gillian I knew and loved didn't 'talk after school'; my Gillian would come out and say what she wanted to say, disregarding any form of retaliation for what she said. It was unusual for Gillian to be so nervous, but it was more unusual for her to actually talk about things in private.

Gradually, I began to realize that she was waiting for an answer. I felt like I had stepped out into the sun, and my internal organs were on fire. There was an uncomfortable churning in my stomach, and I struggled to swallow down the feeling.

"Of course."

I didn't like this feeling. It was like I had gone two days without something to drink, and Gillian was just telling me that I couldn't have anything for three more days. This sort of feeling made my head hurt; I'd never really felt like this. Nervousness? Perhaps. Fear? In regular amounts. But absolute chaos running through my mind? Never. Gillian had started some kind of psychological warfare in my brain, somehow keeping me unarmed while she stabbed me through the chest.

Much to my surprise, Gillian sighed in relief and gave me a smile.

"Good… I was a little worried that you were mad at me."

At this moment, I wished my heart could beat. There weren't very many moments I ever wished something like that, but now I did. I wished I could feel that fluttery feeling Gillian told me that she felt when she was with me. I wanted to know what that kind of emotion _felt _like, instead of just _knowing_ that it was there in my brain. Relief flooded through my mind though, and I gave her the kindest smile I had ever given her at school; I'm pretty sure a few girls gasped.

"No, I could never be mad at you; you make it too hard to be mad at you."

My words seemed to make Gillian even happier, and she did what she had told me she would _never_ do at school. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to mine in a sudden exchange of affection. Part of my brain exploded with the sound several people in the room suddenly moving around and talking about the kiss, and my eyes screwed shut with pain as Gillian placed her hand on mine. This was too much; I had told her that over-loading my senses wasn't a good thing, but here she was, doing the very thing I had told her _not _to do.

This rush of information didn't stop after Gillian pulled away; I felt like I was going to throw up. The taste of her lips still lingered on my own, and there were too many smells for me to sort through in my head. There were whistles of angst from the boys, and 'awwwws' from the girls, and that mashed together with the sound of the teacher yelling at everyone to be quiet.

My head hurt. I felt like I was tipping forward. I probably was, otherwise why would Gillian grab my shoulders and give me a very concerned expression? Closing my eyes again, I took in a deep, hissing breath as she tried to talk to me. The words came out of her mouth, but they were jumbled nonsense to my ears.

A hand clapped on my shoulder, and everything disappeared. All of the noise was gone, and my head was clear of all distractions. I opened my eyes to see a young British gentleman with his hand sitting securely on my shoulder and a smirk on his face.

"Such drama; why, any normal young man would love to have a girl kiss him."

I frowned at Arthur, trying not to be thankful for the spell he had cast on my senses. It would all come back in a moment when he got tired of helping me anyway.

"Oh? By all means, go kiss Amelia Jones and tell me how you feel."

Arthur's cheeks flushed, and he pulled his hand from my shoulder, sending me spiraling back into a migraine. Gillian's arms wrapped around my shoulders, and she tried to be soothing by rubbing my back; this only made me feel worse. Her heartbeat was loud and clear when we were this close, and now I felt thirsty. This was why I hated going to school with humans.

"Goodness, this is what I get for trying to help a chap out."

The wizard shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets, watching me try to choke down a growl of pain. I loved Gillian, I really did, but she was _too close._ This was too much touching for one day; she had already broken the one rule I had asked her to follow, and now she was hugging me. Well, at least she knew to get me out of class if I said the word.

"Gillian… I can't…"

I gritted my teeth as I struggled to speak, and I turned my head from its place on Gillian's shoulder next to her neck. Arthur finally understood why I was acting the way I was, and his shoulders tensed in discomfort at the sight of me holding back all of my urges to bite Gillian. The albino understood, and grabbed my elbows, pulling me up and pulling me towards the door.

"Where are you two going?"

Our teacher finally looked up from his laptop where he was online shopping to see us heading towards the door in the front of the class room. Slapping a hand over my mouth, I turned away from Gillian with a burning throat, trying to ignore the pounding sound of her heart. Arthur came to the rescue, speaking loudly so everyone could hear the excuse for my actions.

"He's going to be sick, sir. You should just let them go."

Gillian didn't wait for approval; she dragged me out of the room with loud stomps. My head was spinning now, and the only thing I wanted to do was pin Gillian to the floor, but she didn't look like she was stopping any time soon. She was headed toward the schools' front entrance, where she could call my father for advice if need be. My body didn't let us get there easily; there were times when my legs would refuse to move, and Gillian would have to tug on my wrist to get me to keep moving.

"Gillian."

Growling her name, I rushed forward and pressed her against the wall to our left. She glued her back to the wall and glared up at my face, trying not to be afraid of me. Satisfaction washed through me as adrenaline began to spike Gillian's blood, and I knew that she was afraid. She was afraid not just of me, but of _what I was going to do with her._ My mouth hung open slightly, and I tried to shut it and look away from her, but the fear that flashed in her eyes held me strong. I braced my hands on the wall on either side of Gillian's head, leaning close to her to listen to her breathing. Each breath sounded like a struggle, as if she was afraid to breathe with me so close.

Every muscle screamed at me to just do it, and have it over with. I had wanted this from the first moment she stepped into my life, and now we were in the perfect position. There were no witnesses, and I could get away with it easily. There were no strings attached; I could just walk away when it was done, and erase Gillian's memory when she woke up. Simple.

That didn't change the fact that I _couldn't _do it. I loved Gillian; I hadn't been brave enough to tell her this, but if I bit her now, it would ruin my chances of ever being able to in the future. I clamped my mouth shut, regaining control of my actions with a shaky grip. I gave a Gillian a look filled with regret; she seemed to understand, and didn't move. Holding herself still allowed her to calm down, and I watched in quiet fascination as her heart rate slowed to a normal rate. This happened almost every time I had to leave class, and we were getting used to the routine.

"I thought you were really going to do it this time…"

She whispered to me, washing my lips with her breath. Closing my eyes, I allowed a smile to play on my lips as I pressed my forehead against hers. My body ached with the internal struggle that was raging within, but I didn't want to lose control; I had to keep myself normal for Gillian. My concentration slipped a bit, and I found my mouth grazing her jawline.

Her pulse picked up, and my strength faltered; why did she have to be so alive? It made concentrating on everything else far too difficult. With an exasperated growl, I allowed my senses to fill with the feeling of my lips pressed against her neck. Gillian's breath hitched as my cold lips pressed a kiss to her neck, and I felt the constant flow of blood beneath her skin with my lips. This was fine, wasn't it? I wasn't biting her, and I saw many teenagers kissing each other's necks in the hallway between classes; this was basically the same thing, just for a different reason.

Pulling my lips away from her neck, I treasured the sound of Gillian huffing for breath, and I kissed her neck again, licking the smooth, sweet flesh of her neck with a flick of my tongue. This seemed to excite Gillian, and she made a strange moan, winding her fingers in my hair as I tasted her neck. It felt like I was cheating; I wasn't drinking her blood, but it tasted _almost _as good. Plus, she was extremely turned on with the way I grabbed her hips and rocked them against my own.

It was alright if I just gave her a small kiss… it wouldn't hurt to try, would it? It couldn't possibly get any worse than what we were already doing. She was gasping for breath after every one of my kisses, and I wished I knew what that felt like. To want to kiss someone so much, but having oxygen force you apart every time; I wondered what it was like to want to kiss me so much. Did she think I tasted good the way I thought she did, or was it something more human that drove her for the connection?

Each time she tried to take a deep breath, I would cut it off with yet another rough kiss; it was so much easier than trying to hold all of the urges down when I was with her. I growled in a low tone against her lips, and she gasped in fear. My lips crashed against her heavily, and her tongue slid into my mouth. This feeling was nice, but I began to notice that there was still space between us. With a swift movement, I gripped Gillian's thighs, and pulled them up and around my waist so my hips rested between her legs. This gave Gillian a different height vantage, and she loomed over me with dirty kisses that I would have dreams about.

Her breath was hot in my mouth, and my brain was jumbled with several thoughts racing through my head. Multicolored lightning bolts dashed across my brain in a crazed frenzy as I held Gillian against the wall, memorizing every curve of her body with my fingers. I felt the way that her lung expanded and contracted with each breath, each one coming faster than the last as I held her lips to mine for longer periods of time. It was so exhilarating; just kissing her was something that people could write books about. Such an experience was so incredible; I thought I would die all over again from such bliss. I wished my heart to beat, hoping that it would start racing along with Gillian's, connecting us in a way that would never be.

I had never been with Gillian like this, wanting her in every wrong way possible; the urge to bite her buzzed in the back of my head, and I tried to push it away as my hands began to wander up underneath the edge of her shirt. Gillian bucked her hips against my own; any my eyes flew open when my pants began to feel too tight. My partner in crime didn't seem to mind; she opened her eyes, and panted against my mouth, whispering unintelligible German words. I could see the glazed over look in her eyes, and I knew her heart was skipping along, high on whatever teenage hormones seeped into her bloodstream. She ran her hands down the front of my shirt, causing a ripple of desire to flare in my brain.

"Hello, hello… what's all this, then?"

An annoyingly familiar British accent rang in my ears, and I struggled to tear myself from Gillian, realizing than none of my thirst had gone away. Gillian was still gasping for breath as she pressed her legs closer to my body to keep from falling. I merely held her against the wall as I slid her from my hips, locking my jaw and telling myself than I was fine without anything to drink at the moment. Arthur was standing at least fifteen feet down the hall with his arms crossed over his chest with yet another one of his smug smiles.

"I'm going to go… call your dad…"

Gillian's cheeks were red, and she smiled breathlessly as she slipped from my arms and around the corner to the schools' front office. For a moment I held myself still, containing all of the raw frustration that had built up from the moment we had left the classroom. When I heard the front door of the office click shut, symbolizing that Gillian had gone inside, a hoarse shout tore from my throat. Guttural rage slipped into the yell, and I growled, throwing myself against the wall in sheer anger. I _almost _bit Gillian… almost was too close for me. I could've hurt Gillian. I was only lucky that I discovered _kissing_ her neck was almost as good. With another loud growl that befitted a vampire, I pulled at my hair and closed my eyes, trying not to focus on the calm beating of Arthur's heart.

He was so calm, but I was fueled by too much suppressed tension between Gillian and myself. I tried to do what humans do: breathe. Breathing always seemed to calm Gillian down when she was upset, and I tried to inhale a lung-full of unnecessary oxygen, exhaling in a low growl. Breathing wasn't helping me very much, and I turned around, pressing my back against the wall, and sliding down until I sat on the linoleum floor. Exasperation flooded my expression as I kept my eyes closed. There was the click of nice shoes on the tiles of the floor, and I didn't bother to open my eyes as Arthur stood in front of me.

"You alright, mate?"

Knowing he was trying to be nice made it difficult to hate him at this moment, and I gave him a struggled nod. There was a sigh, and I heard him shift his weight to his other foot, clearly not believing the lie. It was pretty obvious that I wasn't alright, but I was raised to be polite, not sincere. He didn't get a chance to interrogate me any further, because I could hear the distinct sound of my father's old leather shoes; he had gotten them in a little shoe shop in Boston in 1912, and he'd worn them every day since. My eyes wouldn't open; I knew if they did, I would lunge at Arthur, so staying put on the ground with my fists clenched in my lap was a surefire move to keep out of trouble.

"Roderich… what happened, son?"

My father's voice was unnervingly level as he spoke to me, as if I had merely tripped and fallen on the ground and thrown a tantrum about it. This was _not_ a tantrum. I couldn't smell Gillian anywhere – except for what lingered on my own clothes – so I suspected that she was still in the office, told by my father to wait for him there. My body was still as a statue; if I didn't move, I didn't lose control. My father knew this, as he had felt the same many times before. I heard the rustling of fabric, and then the sound of my father walking over to my left with Arthur.

"You may want to go back to class… we wouldn't want you to get hurt, would we?"

There was a grumble from Arthur, which he knew we could hear clearly. He called me a 'wanker' or something, and trudged down the hall too quickly to be nonchalant. I felt the air shift as my father stooped over me, and pressed something cool and smooth against my hands. I glass bottle filled with cold liquid.

My eyes snapped open, and I unscrewed the cap with a start, guzzling down the sweet and salty beverage in short, strangled gulps. My father stood up straight and watched me quietly as I drank a quarter of the pint of blood in three seconds. He left me to drink, heading off towards the office to retrieve Gillian from her waiting spot. It was not the first time that one of my parents had come to my rescue; my mother was a scientist at a government lab, and she could leave if she wanted to; her employers wanted her to be as content as possible so she could do her job as well as possible. My father was important enough at his law firm that no one minded if he left to take care of business in the middle of the day.

"Are you okay?"

Gillian's voice cut through the air, and I licked my lips, bringing the jug away from my lips and holding it with both hands possessively. Everything felt tingly, like the blood I drank immediately rushed into my still heart and distributed itself among my body's veins, reaching my fingers and toes faster than expected. I turned to my right to see Gillian standing behind my father; he was eyeing my carefully, seeing if he would have to defend Gillian if I wasn't satisfied. Smiling a lax grin, I pushed myself up until I was standing, taking another quick swallow of blood.

"I feel amazing. How are you?"

It was like being drunk… but I wasn't. Maybe I was… was it possible for vampires to be drunk? I'd have to ask my scientist of a mother when I got home. Gillian snorted at my response, and my father relaxed, allowing the human girl to sweep past him, and into my waiting arms. She wrapped her arms around my waist, and smiled up at me.

"I'm awesome… as always."

_Woozy_. That was the word that explained this feeling. I leaned into Gillian, and took a few more quaffs of my drink. My action startled her, and she struggled to support my weight with her small frame, and my father rushed over to clap a hand on my shoulder, and push me upright.

"What did you want to talk about, Gillian?"

I suddenly asked her with an open expression. She blinked spastically; she had probably forgotten that she had asked to talk to me after school before all of this had happened. My father was confused, and looked from the teenager, then to me, and back at her with the same confused expression. Gillian opened her mouth to answer, rethought it, and closed her mouth. She shook her head with a smile, and pat my cheek softly.

"I'll tell you after you take a little nap." She stretched on her tip-toes and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. "I'll come see you after school, okay?"

Nodding dizzily, I fell back against my father, hearing him chuckle in amusement. I smiled at Gillian; smiling felt a lot easier when I was drunk… no, woozy. Or was I tipsy? I probably shouldn't have been debating what to call it; and I felt my father easily take the bottle from my loose grip, twisting the cap back onto the top securely. Gillian waved at me and my father with a smile and my father thanked her before flitting out the door. He dragged me along by the wrist easily, shaking his head with a smile as I stumbled along behind him. I looked at the small indents of our footprints in the snow as we ran, wondering if anyone would notice them.

In a minute, we were home at up the stairs by the time the front door closed behind us. My eyelids felt uncomfortably heavy as my father pushed me into my coffin.

"Come on now, into bed; I'll see you later this evening."

Yawning loudly, I nodded sleepily at the older vampire. I folded my hands in front of my chest, and quietly listened to the sound of my father closing the heavy lid of my resting place. I loved the quietness that came with my coffin; everything else in the world was obsolete, and I was completely enveloped in my own personal sanctuary. Well, maybe it wasn't only _my _sanctuary. Whenever Gillian came to my house, she would request to spend a lot of time loafing around in my room. Mainly, she would want to sit in my coffin, and talk to me about anything and everything. Now, as I was lying in my sanctuary, I was painfully aware of how it smelled of Gillian.

She had told me a while ago that she used some sort of flower scented shampoo, and now I could smell the scent of lavender that lingered in the fabric that lined my bed. It was like my own personal brand of a scented candle; Gillian's scent was like… well, it was indescribable. Even so, I knew that it was the best thing in the world. My mother had told me that my attraction to Gillian may have been destined, and our souls could have been reincarnated into the bodies we had today just to meet, and fall in love all over again. Then again, I never took much of what my mother said on these matters to heart; she liked to tease me about my hesitation to admit that I liked Gillian because she was a human.

My dreams were filled with Gillian; we weren't kissing, or touching each other in any dirty way… we were just lying in my coffin. She was lying on top of me with her head resting lightly on my shoulder, and her hands braced on my chest. It was so relaxing… just lying in my bed with her was calming in a way that I had never thought of before. The sound of her breathing filled my ears, and I closed my eyes in my dream, soaking in every feeling I could from this surreal experience.

Knocking woke me from this enjoyable dream, and I opened my eyes with a start, trying to blink the sleep from my eyes as I heard shuffling outside of my coffin. Maybe it was Gillian, coming to see if I was alright after all of the craziness that had happened this afternoon. Lifting a heavy arm, I pushed my coffin open; it made a low creak, and I sat up in time to see Gillian walking toward my door. She turned back to see what had made a noise, smiling as she saw my groggy face.

"You're awake!"

She announced loudly with a flourish of her hands, making the statement much more dramatic than was needed. I nodded, rubbing my eyes with a sigh. She was always so chipper about the littlest things. It was a refreshing, but I had only _just _woken up. I needed at least a few minutes before I could process how happy she sounded to see me.

Wandering across my room and to the side of my coffin, Gillian began to run her hands through my hair as I continuously rubbed my eyes. It was a soothing action, and I dropped my hands into my lap, keeping my eyes closed as she played with my hair.

"Feeling better?"

She asked me considerately, and I hummed in response. Gillian brushed my hair back slowly with gentle hands, humming what I recognized to be 'Silent Night'. My mind began to wander, and I thought about how close it was to Christmas. I began to think of what Gillian was doing on Christmas… I thought that she had told me her parents were taking her to a family reunion, and she would be gone for all of Christmas break. Opening my eyes, I knew that I had to talk to Gillian about what had started all of this trouble in the beginning.

"What did you want to talk about, Gillian? Is something wrong?"

Gillian's humming paused, and her hands stilled for a moment. I could tell that she was tense about the subject, and her hands moved to rest on my shoulders. I moved my legs out of the way as Gillian walked over to slip into the coffin to sit at the foot to look at me face to face. More than nervous, she seemed embarrassed to talk to me about his, and her cheeks were pink and flushed when she smiled at me from under her white eyelashes.

"Well… today is the beginning of Christmas break…"

Nodding in understanding, I felt Gillian take my right hand and trace circles in the back of my palm while she spoke. It was slightly distracting, but I kept my eyes on the top of her platinum hair as she talked down to my hand.

"And, um… in two days, my family leaves… and tomorrow, December 20th… it's my birthday."

If I were alive, my heart would've just stopped; relief washed over me, and I smiled. Gillian looked up at me with a shy smile. My mind began to whir in a new confusion; she wanted to talk about her birthday? What was there to talk about? More ideas flew into my mind; maybe she wanted something special for her birthday. Humans got presents for their birthday, didn't they? Maybe she wanted some kind of necklace… girls liked jewelry, right? Gillian cut off my assumptions by spewing out what she wanted in a flurry of words.

"I want to spend the whole day with you; no one else, just us."

My mouth dropped open, and I closed it quickly again. The whole day with me? Where was the fun in that? I thought teenagers went out shopping, or to the movies for fun… maybe it was just another one of Gillian's quirks that I had to get used to.

"The whole day… with me?"

I repeated, and earned myself the sight of Gillian smiling and nodding quickly as she bounced up and down in her seat. Her fingers had intertwined with my own somewhere in the middle of our conversation, and she held my hand tight with excitement.

"Yeah! I figured we could meet up here, and go into the city to have fun…"

"Gillian," I stopped her mid-sentence, trying to digest the information she had just presented me. "Would this be another one of those 'dates'?"

She rolled her eyes, and nodded eagerly. Really, I was flattered by the fact that she wanted to spend the entire day with me; birthdays were pretty important, and yet here she was. She wanted to spend one of the most important days with me. It was the most interesting thing that Gillian had done. That was a stretch, considering that Gillian was eccentric to say the least. More than once she had tried to take a sip of blood, just to see what it tasted like. Each time, I would have to lecture her about how she wasn't a vampire, and it wouldn't taste good to her.

"Well… where would we go in the city?"

I asked; part of me wondered if it would be anywhere near where either of my parents worked, and if I would have to call them or not. Perhaps I would just bring a bottle of blood to drink over time, just in case we were out later than I thought. Gillian was talking, but I couldn't understand she was saying; she went on and on about what she wanted to do, and what she wanted to see. I enjoyed listening to her talk, and she made wild hand gestures as she spoke, flicking her hair out of her face every so often to keep it out of her mouth.

Before I knew it, the topic of the conversation had switched to me, and Gillian had pushed me down until I was lying down and she was on top of me. This had happened before; she liked to be as comfortable as possible, even if that involved lying on top of me. Her fingers had found the medallion that sat beneath my shirt, and she turned it over in her hands as she quietly rambled away. My eyes were closed, and I helped the conversation forward with nods and hums of agreement as sleep began to cover my body in a veil of fatigue.

"You know, it would've been cool if we had met when we both lived in Europe… that would've been really cool."

She murmured into my chest as she flipped the medallion over for what seemed like the hundredth time, shifting the position of her body so it fit perfectly against my own. The way we were laying together made me think of my dream; it was just like this. Gillian's head on my shoulder and her hands resting lightly on my chest; my right arm was draped over her shoulders as my left hand sat on top of her hand on my medallion.

I opened my eyes in surprise, Gillian had stopped talking. For once, I didn't tell Gillian to be quiet; yet, she was completely silent. She merely took deep, slow breaths as she laid on me. Looking down, I noted that her eyes were closed, and her lips were parted; she was asleep. A smile came to my lips; of course she would fall asleep in the middle of a conversation. She_ would _do something like that… especially if she was the only one talking. I wondered if she had fallen asleep mid-sentence, and I had missed it.

Each breath she took was relaxed and easy, as if she didn't have a care in the world. I lifted my hand to move her hair from her face, but rethought it; I didn't want her to wake up. If she was asleep, I would let her sleep… just so long as she stayed here with me, everything else was obsolete.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, dirty chapter is dirty. I had an idea of where this was going... and then the aliens came and took over my brain for a few hundred words. Then, I came back to reality and realized what I had written.

I was all: OMG! Stuff I've never been able to even READ! RATED M FOR MATURE!

Then, my friends were like: Dude, you can't even read that stuff without blushing like crazy, how did you survive?

The answer: **ALIENS.**

That's logic for you... so! Thanks for reading, I guess... feel free to review! Unless you're an alien... then, go back to your planet and stay away from my keyboard.

Don't like it? Please, don't review... some aliens are on a rampage, apparently. See you next chapter!


	5. Gillian's Birthday Confession

"Come on, come on! We have fun stuff to do, and it's snowing! Let's go before it's_ too_ snowy!"

My hesitation didn't cease as Gillian waved me outside. She was waiting on the sidewalk with her hands on her hips, tapping her foot in the snow impatiently. My knee length wool coat felt too heavy, and I didn't want to go anymore… I didn't have any choice though. It was Saturday, and I didn't have anywhere else to be. Gillian knew this, so I wouldn't have a valid excuse not to go. So here I was, standing at my front door while Gillian stood in the snow.

Little white specs had dusted her blue coat and hat, and gave her an angelic look as she waited for me. She toted a bag that looped over her shoulder, and it carried her cellphone with a map application, her wallet along with my own, and a bottle of nourishment that my mother had packed especially for me. I still didn't want to go. I looked down at my grey coat, fastening the last of the buttons and closing my front door behind me.

"Ready, now? Can we go?"

Gillian bounced on the balls of her feet, shaking her head to eradicate the snowflakes that clung to her bright blue burette.

"Ready as I'll ever be…"

I grumbled as Gillian took my cool hand in her white gloved fingers. The gloves she wore were stiff, and they merely reminded me of gloved that officers of war would wear in the 1700's. If she enjoyed them though, I didn't want to complain. Gillian headed down the street in the opposite direction of her house with me in tow; I wondered how we were getting to the city, but then realized that there must've been a bus stop that she was heading to.

I had to admit that Gillian had outdone herself today; she wasn't wearing to combat boots, but instead wore a nice pair of knee-high grey boots that didn't make obnoxious clicking noises when she walked. She had made a point to show off the new shirt she had gotten from her cousins who lived in Germany; it was simply a white shirt with a large red plus in the middle. She said it made her an official member of the Knights Templar. The shirt was big enough to be a short dress, and she wore a brown leather belt around her waist to make it into a tunic, and white leggings underneath that fit in nicely with her grey boots.

Her hair was tied in two braids that fell down her back and snapped against her coat every time she took a step. Her hand felt very comfortably in my own, and I fell into step with her as we approached the sign that symbolized a bus stop.

I hated riding on buses. They smelled; well, to me they smelled, to any human it would seem fine. The other thing was that buses were usually crowded. This early in the morning however, the bus was impossibly empty. It seemed that everyone was gone on vacation for Christmas, and left the buses empty just for Gillian and me to spend the day in the city. I paid for an all-day bus pass, stumbling into a seat when Gillian pulled me down the aisle.

"Okay, okay… here's where I want to go… it's supposed to be really cool!"

She pulled out her phone, and tapped away at it before turning the screen towards me. It was a small shop tucked into the corner of a busy street; it had a small sign that hung in the door of the store, and I couldn't read it in the fuzzy picture of Gillian's phone. So really, it was a still a mystery where she wanted to take me. I nodded in hesitant agreement, handing her the phone.

Satisfied with my approval, she stuck the device back into her satchel, looking out the window to watch the houses that passed by. I didn't like the smell of the bus; it smelled like oil, and gasoline. Pulling Gillian against my chest, I pressed my cheek to the top of her head. She laughed a bit, repositioning herself so that the back of her head rested comfortably on my shoulder.

"Buses smell that bad; you have to smell me to feel better?"

"Yes… you smell perfect."

My voice came out in a low murmur, and Gillian started to hum an unfamiliar song. Then again, any new song was unfamiliar to me; I was more inclined to Classical music, and now Gillian was humming something light and upbeat. We sat like this for about fifteen minutes until she pulled out her phone and started to play a game that involved slicing fruit as it launched itself across the screen of the phone. There were a few times when Gillian flinched as she hit a bomb instead of a fruit, and she swore in German when it said that she had lost.

With my arm around her shoulders, I inhaled her scent every time the smells of the bus wound around my senses. I could see out of the window over Gillian's white hair, eyeing the tall office buildings as we zoomed into the city. I began to wonder what kind of place Gillian wanted to go today; what was that shop supposed to be? Gillian said it was 'cool', but she said that living through the World Wars was cool as well, so I didn't want to look forward to this trip too much.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Gillian pulled away from my arm, and yanked on a cord that signaled that we needed to get off the bus. It stopped and Gillian tugged me out of the bus with a strong hand.

"Where are we?"

I wondered aloud as we stepped out of the bus and onto the street. Gillian merely wiggled her eyebrows and held my hand tight as we walked down the snow covered sidewalk. The comforting sound of snow crunching beneath our shoes came in a rhythmic pattern as we fell into step with each other, and Gillian swung my hand back and forth as we walked along. Taking time to absorb our surroundings, I looked to my left and to my right, keeping close to Gillian to avoid touching passersby. Intimidating grey buildings stood on my left while the traffic-jammed road was to my left. Honking horns screeched from the street, and the smell of exhaust wafted through the air, overpowering the smell of the greasy fast-food stands that lined the street.

Scrunching up my nose, I turned my gaze to the side of Gillian's face, studying how she was still happy and upbeat despite the chaos unrolling around us. Perhaps I was just overreacting; I had a tendency to do that when I was in a new setting. Even with the knowledge that the city was going to be noisy, I had underestimated the annoyance of it; there were people shouting at each other, babies were crying, and there was the constant whirr of electronic devices powering on was buzzing in the back of my ear. Almost losing my nerve to be with Gillian, I stopped in my tracks and looked down at the snow, struggling to regain my composure as Gillian turned back to see if I was alright.

The feeling of her starchy white glove brushed on my cheek, and I looked up to see Gillian staring at me with questioning red eyes.

"We're almost there…" A whining tone seeped into her words as she spoke to me. "Almost there! Can you just hold on?"

Even if I said no, she wouldn't have listened. Gillian merely gripped my hand tighter, and began towing me along at a faster pace than before with a determined expression on her face. Trying to seem like I was fine with the smelly, noisy, downright _obnoxious _city life, I kept my head up, looking forward to the point in which Gillian would take me into the store she wanted to see. Then I would be able to have a little something to drink before heading back into this madness. Keeping an eye out for the familiar shape of the store Gillian had showed me, I gripped her hand tightly when it came into view, fighting the urge to sprint into the small store.

The store was small to say the least; it looked strange being the only small building among taller ones, and was offset in the surrounding skyscrapers. The roof of the building was a deep red that made me think it was doused in blood before we came, but the color had probably faded over the years, and once it might have been a brilliant crimson. Sprinkled with snow, the beauty of the clean white washed walls was lost, making it seem forlorn and forgotten tucked in the corner of two office buildings.

With Gillian holding my right hand securely, we walked into the store; there was a small chime, like bell had gone off when we entered through the door, and I immediately squinted. All over the compact shop were shiny objects; well, more like reflective surfaces. Mirrors were hanging around the shop on the walls, sitting on tables, and a few were suspended from the ceiling by thin fishing wire. Gillian looked entirely enthralled with the idea of all of these mirrors, but I was lost to the point of it. Why were so many mirrors in one place? I still hadn't figured out the name of the shop; the sign was covered in snow. Gillian's small hand slipped away from mine, and she began to wander around the shop, stopping to look at a few mirrors. Sensing someone was standing behind me, I turned around to see a young woman smiling at me from behind the counter. I recognized her as Amelia Jones, the girl that Arthur was infatuated with. Ignoring the fact that she hadn't been there moments before, she gestured to the inside of the store with a wide sweep of her hand.

"Welcome!" Her voice was chipper and bounced off of the walls. "Feel free to look around; if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask."

What kind of questions would you have about mirrors? 'Excuse me, this one shows my reflection, right?' Honestly, how stupid did this immortal think we were… then again, many immortals were known for collecting special items. Amelia was probably a kleptomaniac that took whatever mirror she could get her hands on, or perhaps these mirrors were special, and really did show something besides your reflection. Shoving my hands in my coat pockets, I nodded to the blonde at the counter, and glanced up at the glass hanging from the ceiling with a slightly interested gaze.

There could have been all sorts of uses for these mirrors… perhaps they were extraordinary, and I just didn't know it. Immortals had always been a bit mischievous; not nearly as mischievous as wizards on any scale, but immortals were always looking to make things a bit more interesting. Gillian was fifteen feet away from me, staring intently at the description below one of the mirrors; I kept a mental note on where she was as I stepped toward a table that was labeled: _Heart Mirrors. _The name intrigued me, and I was fairly sure that these were special mirrors.

Taking a look at the description below a small circular mirror, I observed what the mirror was supposed to do: _This mirror will show your family, but be careful not to lose yourself in the reflection._ Of course I wasn't going to be an idiot and fall in love with a reflection, my family was right here in the world with me, and I would only have to go home and see them if I wanted to. Reaching out to the mirror, I folded the stand that propped it up, and brought it up to my face. I had a reflection, but it soon disappeared, showing me the sight of my mother and father. They looked as if they were talking to each other, not about anything important really, but more of a natural conversation. My father said something and my mother laughed, shining a brilliant smile at her husband. They seemed so happy just talking about nothing; I couldn't hear them, it was a mirror after all. After a moment I grew tired of the sight, and I set the mirror back down, unfolding the stand and placing it back on the smooth surface of the oak table.

Gillian had moved from her spot in the back of the store, and had come a little closer to me, inspecting another shelf of mirrors. Amelia was watching me intently, probably wondering why I was spending the afternoon with a human, and moreover, why I had come into the store holding her hand. I ignored the immortal, and looked at another description: _This mirror will show your deepest fear. _That's all it said, just my deepest fear. No warning like the other mirror, just a statement that I was going to be viewing the scariest thing I could think of. The first thing that came to mind was having my medallion stolen while I was out in the sunlight, and I would be left with my skin boiling in the heat. Secondly, biting Gillian flashed in my mind. I really didn't want to look at this mirror anymore if that was what I was going to see, and I shook my head with closed eyes in an attempt to shake the idea from my head.

"Roderich! Look!"

Gillian was holding a mirror when she came to stand beside me and she pushed the mirror up to my face, too close for me to see what was reflected. With a sigh, I pushed the mirror back to see my own reflection melt away before a grass field appeared before my eyes. A few mountains were in the background, and the grass on the field shook with an unfelt breeze. Confusion seeped into my thoughts; Gillian could see this, couldn't she? It wasn't just non-humans would could see it… right? Why else would she have brought the mirror to me? Of course she could see this… but what exactly was I looking at? Amelia saved the day by coming out from behind the counter to see the mirror, smiling at my perplexed expression as she came to stand behind Gillian and I.

"Ah, yes… that mirror shows what you have left behind. Great for reminiscing, I'd say."

The albino on my right side whipped around to stare at Amelia in awe, slapping me in the face with one of her long braids on the process. Gillian's hair was beautiful, but I didn't understand why she kept her hair long enough to reach her waist when she always complained it was too long… aside from that point, Gillian was aghast that the mirror actually showed something besides your own reflection.

"Are these mirrors magic?"

Gillian asked in a quiet voice. The immortal laughed a bit, and nodded with a bright smile.

"Yeah, they're magic. You're lucky… I don't let humans see the magic. But, since you came with him," Amelia pointed at me. "I made an exception. Good thing he tagged along, huh?"

Amelia brushed a lock of her blonde hair from her blue eyes, eyeing me as I looked away from the mirror with slight agitation. I had been looking at the fields of Austria; I had lived in those fields for year before we had almost been caught by humans. Gillian took the mirror back and smiled at the reflection she saw, and I immediately wondered what she saw. What if it was a boy that she had left in Germany? Did she still miss him? Was I merely a substitute? The mirror reflected what the holder left behind… and now I was in a state of annoyance because I didn't want to peek over Gillian's shoulder. Goodness, now I was getting jealous. To get my mind off of it, I looked back to the _Heart Mirrors _table, and looked around at the other descriptions.

There was a mirror to show your enemy, a mirror to show what made you happy, a mirror that would show what made you sad. All sorts of mirrors that would have been interesting to look at, but I picked the mirror that said: _This mirror will show what you love more than anything._ Hesitation stopped me from picking up the mirror; what if it wasn't what I thought it would be? What if I didn't like what I saw? Gillian was standing next to me; she could easily see what the glass surface held. Amelia came to stand on my right side, watching me struggle with the decision on what to do.

"You should try it." She said with an honest tone. I gave her a blank stare. "You might like it."

Giving in to Amelia's advice, I picked up the rectangle shaped mirror and brought it up so I could see it clearly. The reflection of my face washed away, and I was greeted with the sight of Gillian and me standing together. It looked like a portrait someone would get at a school dance; my arms were wound around Gillian's waist and her hands braced against my chest. We were merely standing there with our foreheads leaning against each other's, smiling in contentment. These days with Gillian, I found myself wishing more and more that my heart could beat so I could feel what Gillian felt when I saw things like this. The reflection moved, and Gillian and I were kissing; nothing dirty, just a simple kiss that was over in a moment, and we were embracing tightly, as if we could never be torn apart.

Feeling Gillian glancing over my shoulder, I remained entranced with the picture as Gillian leaned against my shoulder to get a better look. Amelia went back to her place behind the counter and said something about taking our time, but I was busy burying myself in the emotions washing over me. Bliss overwhelmed me, and I couldn't think about anything else but Gillian; what she smelled like, what she tasted like, how soft her lips were… I closed my eyes, and lost myself in my thoughts.

"-derich? Roderich!"

My eyes snapped open, and I saw Gillian holding the mirror that I had been looking at. She gingerly placed it back on the table, and gazed up at me with watery eyes. Her heart was racing in fear now; had she been talking to me? I didn't hear anything… did I do something I don't remember doing? Licking my lips, I noted that I was thirsty. Normally, I would only get thirsty after kissing Gillian… but that didn't seem logical… I would remember that. Wouldn't I? Had I kissed Gillian? Gillian's fists clenched and unclenched as she stood inches away from me.

"You… you didn't answer me. It kinda freaked me out… you were j-just s-standing there… n-not answering me… you weren't m-moving…"

Gillian's words began to sound uneven as she took shaky breaths; this meant she was going to cry. I hated it when Gillian cried; it usually meant I did something that hurt her. Being quiet hurt her? Well, I suppose when people are scared they can cry also… never mind that, Gillian had already began to huff. When she did that, it meant she was trying to hide what she was feeling. I didn't want to touch her; I was getting thirsty just thinking about what I saw in the mirror, but when she stood like that in front of me, huffing and puffing as she struggled not to cry… I gave in, gathering her in my arms, and pressing my cheek to the top of her head as she let go.

Crying was always a mysterious action for me; you just started leaking water from your eyes when you were upset. I didn't usually cry; it was a laborious action for me. I would become dehydrated because I lost the little water in my body, and I would feel sick for the rest of the afternoon. Gillian, however, was a different story completely. To me, it seemed like she could cry for ages and still be ready to cry some more. More than anything, she always got tired after she cried, and would want to just lie in my coffin with me to take a nap. For me, Gillian crying made me feel sick. My stomach would twist every time a sob escaped her throat, and my head would hurt when she gasped for another breath.

Her fingers dug into my back as she cried; I had obviously scared her enough to make her panic, but I began to wonder how long I had been standing there to make her cry. A few minutes maybe? Surely, I wasn't standing motionlessly for fifteen minutes, though… even I got antsy if I stood still for too long… what had happened to me? I knew that I had become entranced with one of Amelia's mirrors, and then… my mind drew a blank. Nothing happened after that. I opened my eyes, and Gillian was on the verge of tears. Now, as Gillian's sobs became quieter, and her steadfast grip on my back was loosened, I knew that she was calming down. This was good, because I was _really _thirsty now. I didn't want to be rude, so I held onto Gillian. Each breath she took was racked with the shakiness of tears, and she burrowed against my chest as her heart rate slowed.

"Don't do that again…" She mumbled into my wool coat, and she sniffed softly. "Don't ever do that again, okay? No more freaking me out…"

Amelia was watching the entire interaction with a fascinated gaze; she reminded me of Arthur in that aspect. Always interested in things that were none of their business. Nodding against Gillian's hair, I spoke quietly, trying to ignore that my throat felt like sandpaper.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to scare you." Gillian sniffled again, pressing her body against mine; I bit my lower lip, fighting the urge to press my lips to her neck for just a moment… Amelia was here, and I didn't want my problems floating around to Arthur's waiting ears. "I guess this isn't a very good birthday… I made you cry. I'm sorry."

Shaking her head, Gillian pulled away from me and wiped away the tears on her cheeks with the back of her hand. Amelia was next to us in a moment, handing her a tissue to be a bit helpful, and I scowled at her. That stupid immortal should've warned me that the mirror had a trance effect on it. She left out the most important details… just like Arthur. The more I thought of it, the more they became a wonderful couple in my mind. Yes, they enslave the human race together as annoying pricks, side by side. Perfect, now I was planning out how the world was going to end. Gillian smiled at me with puffy red eyes, brushing a few stray strands of white hair from her face as she spoke.

"Nah, as long as you're okay… then it's all good."

I nodded, trying to remain calm as Gillian's heartbeat pounded like a drum in my ears. The bag slung over her shoulder held my salvation, but I didn't want to say that I _needed_ it. Amelia would obviously use that against me and ask why I hadn't bitten her yet. Then, of course, that news would go straight to Arthur and he would use it against me in some sort of blackmail. As inviting as that sounded, I was going to wait until we were out of this store to be thirsty. I had held off my hunger will Gillian countless of times, now would not be any different. Gillian gave me a funny look, and then smiled brightly.

"Are you thirsty? I bet you are… hold on…"

Gillian knew me better than I thought. She destroyed my plan to avoid thirst, and was now reaching into her bag to fish out the bottle of blood my mother had asked Gillian to stow away in her bag. Even though I really wanted to be mad at Gillian for making me seem weak, I was too in love with her to be upset. She knew me well enough to know when I was fighting myself, and she cared enough to help me through it. As she brought out the glass bottle and held it in her hands, I fought the urge to wrench it from her hands and tear off the lid. Instead, I suppressed the impulse and waited patiently for Gillian to hand it to me; surprisingly, she actually gave it to me without threatening to take a sip. A smile came to her lips as she thought about it, but she handed it to me without any hesitation. Unscrewing the top from the bottle calmly, I took a few swallows as Gillian started wandering around the store again as if nothing had happened. Amelia didn't seem fazed by my thirst, and she quietly went back behind her counter to read whatever magazine was sitting on the countertop.

Without either of the girls seeming concerned about this event, I tried to relax. Amelia didn't really care about the mirror, so I was going to leave it alone. Gillian was happy wandering around the store some more while I took slow gulps of blood, calming the nerves that had come from being so close to her. I was perfectly content with her staring into different mirrors while I sat back by the counter, eyeing the magazine that Amelia was engrossed with. It was some sort of fashion magazine that had pictures of a blonde model named Madeline who was dressed up in a red dress with a slit that traveled halfway up her thigh. I didn't think it was all that impressive, but Amelia found it amazing; she was practically drooling on the paper at the sight of the dress.

I wondered if Gillian liked things like that. She had never really been a girly-girl; she would almost always wear some kind of boots when we were together, never any girly high heels. The only time I didn't see her wearing boots was the day she first came over to my house on Halloween with little black flats on. She told me the following week that she was dressed as a vampire, although I could have guessed that. Now Gillian had frozen in the corner, looking down at one mirror with an ecstatic expression. Hoping that she wasn't entranced with a mirror like I had been, I put the cap back onto my halfway finished bottle of blood, and eyed her cautiously as she came to the counter, clutching a mirror to her chest. It was fairly small as mirrors go; it wasn't even the size of Gillian's face. The frame was a series of metal vines that wrapped around the glass with small flowers made of a different colored metal blooming around the edges of ivy. Even I had to admit that it was a lovely mirror.

"It's my birthday," She said to me with a bright smile. "And I know you haven't gotten me anything, so I want you to get this for me."

Tapping the mirror with her index finger and hiding the glass surface so I couldn't see what it reflected; Gillian smiled coyly as I arched one surprised eyebrow. She wanted one of these mirrors? I could only guess which mirror she wanted… there were so many different kinds to choose from. I know she didn't get the one I had been looking at; it was still sitting on the table where she had left it… so which one could it be? Leaning forward, Amelia poked my shoulder to gain my attention.

"So, are you going to get that one?"

"Yeah!" Gillian answered for me, practically bouncing up and down with excitement. "I'm getting this one! I'm going to keep it on my bedside table and… wait; the magic will still work when I bring it home, right?"

Suddenly, all of Gillian's excitement disappeared and she was very concerned about whether or not her mirror would still reflect what she wanted. Amelia waved away the albino's worries with a wave of her hand, and popped open the cash register as she spoke, pulling out a bag with the store logo on the side from under the counter.

"Yeah, I took off the magic seal, so it'll still work; don't worry about it… that'll be fifteen dollars and seventy-six cents."

Ready with an open palm, Amelia smiled at me as I rolled my eyes and took my wallet from my coat pocket, searching for a small enough bill to pay for the mirror without breaking a very large one. I raked through several fifty dollar bills before finally finding the last twenty in my wallet. With my parents having such nicely paying jobs, they thought it was normal to give me an allowance. Really, they just gave it to me because that's what they heard parents do these days. So, handing Amelia the twenty, I watched as Gillian angled the glass away from me as she gave it to the immortal as Amelia put it in a bag before smiling smugly.

"Good choice."

The immortal nodded approvingly as she offered it back to Gillian, placing the change into my partners waiting hand, and Gillian nodded back. Without telling me anything, Gillian straightened her blue hat, and marched out the door with her head held high as I followed. Amelia shouted 'Come back soon!' as we left, and I vowed that I would never go there again unless Gillian dragged me there by force. I didn't want to spend any more time with Arthur's girlfriend than was needed.

With Gillian on my left side, we wandered down the bustling sidewalk, talking about what Gillian wanted to have for lunch. I knew that I was just going to watch her eat while I drank, but it was interesting to hear her opinion of foods that she liked and disliked. As we spoke, snow started falling in large, heavy blobs, and Gillian stuck her tongue out to catch a few in her mouth before pausing and rubbing her eyes with a gloved hand.

"Ah… got one in my eye…"

Without meaning to, I laughed. It may have been rude, but the way she had declared a snow flake had gotten in her eye sounded like a little child whining about how they didn't get their favorite flavor of ice-cream. Gillian pouted at my laughing, and playfully slapped my arm as we stood still in the bustling traffic of the city. If I was with Gillian, all of the things that would normally overrode my senses felt dulled, as if we were the only ones in the world that really mattered, and my mind didn't have to worry about anything else. When I had stopped laughing, Gillian looked behind me and gasped.

"Oh, let's go here! They have the best cheeseburgers!"

She took my hand and led me inside with her mirror still hugged to her chest. Part of my mind wondered what the mirror really reflected, but I was slapped in the face by the smell of grease as we walked through the doors of the restaurant. Gillian led me forward, completely unfazed by the smell, and I closed my eyes for a moment to contain my disgust. I knew I would never eat human food, it would just taste like dirt to me, so I was even more put-off by the food with this smell. The girl I was with was completely overjoyed to be here though; I wondered what would happen if she knew that this place smelled horrible… maybe she wouldn't want to eat here. Well, it was her birthday and she really wanted to eat here… I didn't want to ruin the mood by saying that it smelled bad. So, I would do what any gentleman would do… I kept my feelings shoved down in a small box in the back of my brain; out of sight, out of mind.

I didn't want to make my discomfort too obvious, so I refrained from getting too close to Gillian. I would just sit next to her when she got her food, anyway. She had begun to talk to me, and I struggled to pay attention as we drew closer to the clerk that would show us to our seats.

"… and then I was like, whoa! You have a reflection! I thought vampires didn't have reflections…"

"No, we have reflections." I answered quickly; we were next in line, so I gave her a brief explanation of the myth. "Some people used mirrors to reflect sunlight at vampires, burning them more severely. So, vampires would usually shift to a different place if someone took out a mirror. Ergo, people would say that vampires didn't have reflections because we were never seen when a mirror was pulled out. It must've been another blown out of proportion idea."

'Shifting' was when a vampire would move faster than the blink of an eye, faster than a butterfly's wing beat, and even faster than the speed of light. When I had told Gillian that, she made me prove it, and I disappeared from standing in front of her to standing on the ceiling of my room, causing her to scream and fall over. It had been fun, but then she would make me do it all the time just so she could get used to it. As much fun as it was scaring Gillian, it was tiring. But enough of that; the man at the counter gave us a classic fake smile, and took out two menus from underneath his podium.

"Is it just you two, today?"

He asked in a sharp tone that made me want to slap him; who talked to customers that way? Gillian brushed it off and nodded, holding my hand tightly as she smiled at the rude man.

"Yeah, it's just us! It's my birthday, so he took me out to my favorite restaurant!"

The man pretended to care as he led us to a two -person booth in the back of the restaurant, making me almost scream at the fact that I wouldn't be sitting next to Gillian. Now how was I supposed to deal with the stench of onions and baking grease? With a flourish, the man placed our menus in front of us, and nodded at Gillian.

"Happy Birthday; can I start you off with anything to drink? We have iced tea, coffee, _Pepsi_, _Coca Cola, _wine, beer…"

I waited for Gillian to answer; whatever she would get, I would get the same, and she would drink mine if she wanted it. It would seem strange for me not to get anything every time we went out together. So whenever I went out on a date with Gillian - we would almost always end up stopping to get Gillian something to eat - and I would just get something to drink and Gillian would take it later. Hopefully she wouldn't say something snarky about how the man offered her liquor.

"Uh…I guess I'll have some _Pepsi._"

"I'll have some, too."

Opening the menu placed in front of me, I ignored the man as he walked away jotting down what we wanted while grumbling that he should've gotten today off. Gillian kicked her feet back and forth under her chair as she skimmed the menu, and I put mine down. Looking at the food options just made me feel nauseous; I had tried human food once. Like I had said earlier, it tasted like horrendous. It tasted like everything was burnt and raw at the same time; it was like this with all vampires. We're just not meant to eat food like humans, we just drink blood. And as much as I wanted to pretend that this place didn't smell awful to me, I couldn't help when I reached across the table and took Gillian's hand in my own.

It surprised her of course; I never really instigated touching unless I was bothered by something. So, I tried to act normal, as if I did this all the time. Smiling at Gillian, I relaxed a bit when she intertwined our fingers and she turned her attention back to her menu as I casually stroked the back of her hand with my thumb. The smooth feeling of her skin was blissfully distracting, and I absorbed the light-headed feeling that came from holding her hand and feeling the pulsing rhythm of her heartbeat in her wrist. The constant whirring of several televisions in the restaurant was pushed to the back of my mind as I watched Gillian's eyes move from left to right across the menu.

Her silver eyelashes gently caressed her cheeks when she blinked, and a strand of her platinum hair had fallen from its place in her braid. She pushed it back with her unoccupied right hand, setting down the menu just for a moment, then taking it back up again. While she did so, my mind wandered back to the mirror sitting in her lap; what kind of mirror would a girl get on her birthday? Hold on… that wasn't very specific; what kind of _magical _mirror would a _vampire dating teenage _girl get on her birthday? I pursed my lips, looking down at Gillian's slender hand in my own.

She was so _soft… _so _distracting_… so… everything. I blinked; _everything? _Really? Since when were my thoughts dominated by a sixteen - no, now she was seventeen - year old girl? Part of my brain felt a little disgusted at the thought of Gillian being so much younger than me, but she had told me dozens of times over that it was alright and she didn't mind. Why didn't she? Wasn't she bothered by the fact that I was over one thousand years old? Damn, now I was distracted again… what kind of mirror did she get? Hopefully, she had bought a happy one… not one of the mirrors that showed your deepest fear. What would anyone use that for? Torture maybe... ah, Arthur's perfect birthday present.

"Hey… what're you thinking about?"

Glancing up from Gillian's hand that I had been staring at for too long, I saw that she had put down her menu, and had laced our fingers together. With that smile on her face, she was beautiful… if she would smile at me like that more often, I would die a happy vampire.

"You." I lied, putting on my most debonair smile.

Watching as Gillian's cheeks flushed pink, a smile crept onto her lips, and she looked down at our hands sitting on the table. I wished that I could be closer to her, to kiss her and not want to go any farther… I wished that I could keep her safe, and never let anyone but me touch her. Opening my mouth to say exactly that, I paused, snapping my mouth shut again, gaining a confused look from Gillian. I merely glared at the source of my misfortune.

I smelled him before I saw him. Grease and cheap shampoo… our waiter returned to our table, and I frowned at the thought of him ruining the perfect moment to tell Gillian how I felt. He merely huffed loudly, and slapped his fake smile on his face again, taking out a notepad and a pen.

"So… do you guys know what you want to order, or do you need more time…?"

"I'm ready," Gillian smiled before glancing down at her choice. "Uh… bacon cheeseburger, please."

The tired waiter scribbled down what she wanted with a bored expression, turning to me and not bothering to smile. He already knew I didn't like him, so he wasn't even going to try. How lazy can one person be?

"And what about you?"

Oh, I could tear him to shreds. Cut him to ribbons with my fingernails and then some. If looks could kill, he'd be dead ten times over. I wish I wasn't on such a tight leash being a vampire… if I could just erase his very existence, I would. Hold on… when did I become violent? Oh, right… when he saw that Gillian and I were having an important moment, and he decided it was a great time to get off of his lazy ass and do his job. Wonderful. Well, I couldn't ruin Gillian's birthday by allowing my demonic nature to get the best of me. Instead, I smiled my infamous smile, narrowing my eyes ever so slightly to make the waiter uncomfortable under my violet gaze.

"I'm not hungry at the moment, thank you."

He shivered, frozen under my stare. When I sensed discomfort from Gillian, I merely shrugged at the useless young man and looked back at her with a genuine smile. To my delight, she smirked when the waiter left, leaning forward to whisper to me.

"Alright, even I thought he was being an _arschloch_, but I never thought that the goody-goody Roderich Edelstein would act outside of his fancy-pants manner."

Gillian winked at me with a smile, and I smiled deviously. It was that perfect moment Gillian chose to bit her lower lip, looking down at the table, then up at me with half-lidded eyes. I snapped. Taking my left hand and cupping the back of her neck, I leaned forward across our small table to catch her lips. The explosion of color appeared behind my eyelids when I closed my eyes, trying to restrain from opening her mouth. She seemed to understand that it was a chaste kiss, and pulled back after a few seconds, giving me one of her dazzling smiles. Struggling to pull back, I savored the tingling feeling left on my lips, using it as a distraction from the itchy feeling in my throat.

We spoke throughout the meal, talking about Christmas and about where her family was going. Between bites, Gillian told me that her family was having a big reunion in Germany and that she would be gone for the whole two week vacation from school.

"Maybe I'll sneak you in my suitcase."

She half-joked, munching on a french-fry. Immediately, I began to wonder if it was possible. I didn't want Gillian to be gone for two weeks… it seemed like far too long. Besides, I could easily slip onto a plane without anyone knowing by shifting. Simple… but, Gillian was joking. Wasn't she? No, she was joking. I was the only one who was actually thinking of sneaking of to Germany with the girl I had only been dating for hardly two months.

In my head, it sounded like the epiphany of wonderful ideas. My parents were both going to be busy over Christmas break; my father had gotten a case of defending a very rich business man from an angry secretary. My mother was experimenting with a new chemical that would help chemotherapy be a little less painful for patients, and wouldn't be coming home very often. To me, escaping an empty house for two weeks sounded like a brilliant idea.

"Roderich?" Gillian glanced up at me from underneath her light eyelashes. "You okay?"

Blinking, I shook my head with a smile; of course Gillian was joking. Sarcasm was a popular thing with young people these days, and I was just taking everything she said far too literally.

"I'm fine… what were you saying?"

"Oh, I said that because we were leaving the country, and I wouldn't get to see you for a while… and I want to get something that reminded me of you… so I want to go back to your house before the end of the day… okay?"

Innocently taking a bite of her burger, Gillian tried to hide the blush that crept up onto her ears, failing miserably, and hiding her face behind the remaining remnants of her food as I stared at her with a blank expression. What would she want from my house? Scowling, I took my bottle of blood from the tabletop and took a swig before stating just low enough for her to hear.

"You are _not_ getting any blood from my refrigerator, Gillian."

Gillian snorted, and covered her mouth as she struggled to swallow, earning a smile from me. She shook her head quickly, screwing her eyes shut as her shoulders shook in silent laughter. Was it really that funny? I suppose I was really off when guessing what she wanted. Then… what was it? Rolling my eyes, I realized that this was just like the mirror she had bought. I still didn't know what her mirror showed. I thought about all of the things Gillian and I had done in my home.

Well, she certainly liked to take naps with me in my coffin, with the lid open of course, but she couldn't just drag my coffin to Germany. No, that wasn't it. Gillian had mentioned that she liked how I dressed… but taking one of my items of clothing? Highly unlikely. What else would she want… nothing. There wasn't anything I could think of… unless she wanted to steal the small silk pillow from my coffin. If she wanted it, she would have to pry it from my cold, dead hands. Pun intended.

"No," Gillian's voice bubbled through my thoughts, and she took my _Pepsi_ from in front of me – she finished hers, and had moved on to drinking mine – and took a hearty slurp before setting it back in front of me with another laugh. "I don't want to take the creepy animal blood from your fridge,_ Liebling_."

I raised an eyebrow at the German term of endearment, and found a smile tugging at the corner of my lips as Gillian carried on giggling as she ate. _Liebling_ if I translated correctly, meant 'darling' or 'beloved'… and Gillian had just casually called me that name. Like it was the most normal thing for her to call me 'darling' in German. She didn't really notice, so I took advantage of the situation, and picked up my bottle of nourishment before saying quietly:

"Whatever you say, _Shatzi._"

_Shatzi_ meant 'treasure', if I recalled correctly, and Gillian noticed. She paused mid-bite to look at me with a bashful expression, and I merely sat back against the booth, taking a slow drink from my glass bottle with a smirk. I loved the expression she was wearing. She looked confused and happy at the same time. And I had been the cause.

"Hey…" She mumbled, picking at the straw in her plastic cup. "Are you always going to call me that, now?"

I grew uneasy when she didn't look at me, hiding her expression. Did I make her too uncomfortable?

"Not unless you want me to."

There was a pause; I didn't like pauses. It meant that Gillian had to think about what I just said. It should have been an easy answer. Yes, or no. What was taking so long? It had been four whole seconds, and she was kicking her leg back and forth under her chair. Not a good sign; this meant that she was really debating was she was doing. Damn… I should've known not to call her that. Wait a minute… she called me 'beloved', didn't she? Why was she being so damn hesitant? Humans are such slow thinkers. Did she always take this long to think?

My own skin began to feel uncomfortable the longer Gillian thought about it. How long had it been? Ten seconds? Gah, time moves much too slow.

"Well…" My ears perked up when mumbled, and I looked up to see her lick her lips nervously. I locked my jaw, trying to erase all urges to jump up and lick her lips too. "Have you ever called anyone else… that… before?"

"No." I answered quickly, trying to relieve the tension in the air as soon as possible. "I've never been this close with someone, so… no."

"Really?" Gillian's red eyes met my violet ones, and I saw a hint of a smile on her lips.

"Yes… I've never felt like someone… the way I feel about you… so carefree. Everything is much… easier with you… I don't have to worry about revealing what I am around you. You already know. All I have to do is make sure I don't bite you." Gillian and I both chuckled a little at the statement, but I didn't stop there. This was perfect. The easiest way to slip onto the topic I desperately wanted to discuss. I took her left hand in my own, and swallowed before speaking again. "Gillian… I… when I'm with you, the world stops. Nothing else matters. Why do you think that is?"

Gillian didn't answer. I didn't want her to. Her pulse began to quicken as I went on.

"When I'm with you, everything is different. I feel… protective of you. That's never happened before… what I mean to say is, these… feelings that I've been feeling… they're completely brand new. Quite an astonishing feat for someone my age." I laughed, but Gillian didn't. I kept going, my words coming from my lips faster as I continued. "Gillian, I think you're beautiful. The most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Again, this is quite surprising, considering my age. I feel so strange, Gillian! My chest aches at the thought of you leaving for two weeks, but I know that it can't be my heart… could it? No, it couldn't… my heart doesn't beat like yours, no matter how much I wish it did."

I took a shuddering breath, trying to relieve the pressure that continued to build in my lifeless chest. Gillian merely watched me with trembling smile, almost as if she was about to cry. _Keep going, _I told myself, _just say it!_

"With you, I feel alive. I've never been alive, Gillian… I have no idea what I'm supposed to feel. But with you, I'm alive. Your heartbeat is mine, filling the empty space in my chest," I placed my empty had over my heart to emphasize the point, and Gillian bit her lower lip. Her shoulders were shaking now as she smiled that somehow sorrowful smile as I kept going. "Your skin warms mine, and I'm not cold anymore… Gillian… Gillian, I…" _Say it! _My body screamed at me, but my tongue refused to move. I was stuck on the fact that Gillian put her hand over her mouth, and was on the brink of tears. "I can't stand the thought of being away from you. That's why I actually _considered _going to Germany with you. How pathetic is that?" I shook my head with a tightlipped smile, looking down at Gillian's hand in mine, seeing that she held me with a vicious grip.

I tried to breathe, to get rid of that pain that lingered over my dead heart; if this was love, I didn't like it anymore. It was much too painful just to say the words, let alone live up to them. Maybe that's why Gillian was almost crying, holding my hand so tight… she felt it too. It must've been worse for a beating heart, why else would she be stricken with sudden pain? It was all my fault.

"Say it…"

My head jerked up at the whispered command and I Gillian's hand over her mouth trembled. She was still smiling after all the pain, she was smiling. My brows knit together as I gave her a desperate look, and her fingernails dug into my palm as she squeezed my hand tighter.

"_Say it_…"

She whispered again as a tear rolled down her cheek. God, I had done this. I had made Gillian cry, not once, but _twice_ on her birthday. Proving once and for all that I didn't deserve her. But, she had told me to say it, and it was her birthday… so I wouldn't deny her. I wouldn't deny her anything in the world if she would stop crying. Every tear was an agonizing stab in the chest.

I stood suddenly, pulling her up with me. Several people were now looking at us, but I didn't care anymore. Gillian was all that mattered. We stood for a moment. Chest to chest, with her hands in my own, her rosy cheeks becoming stained with tears. I felt my chest wrench in pain the longer I hesitated, but I reached out anyway, brushing away the tears on her cheeks as the restaurant hushed to hear what we were talking about. Even a few servers had stopped taking orders, and were staring at us. I didn't mind. Not anymore. Gillian's ruby eyes made me melt, and my throat felt tight when I spoke.

"I love you, Gillian. More than anything in the world…"

What happened next didn't make sense to me. Gillian laughed as tears began to stream down her face again, throwing her arms around my neck as she gasped for breath. Almost everyone in the restaurant began to clap for us, and several people hollered affectionately, and I immediately thanked myself for taking a drink before any of this happened.

With Gillian so close to me, her scent, her heartbeat, her warmth… it cut everything else in the world away, and my eyelids fluttered shut as I wrapped my arms around her.

"Roderich," She gasped shakily between sobs, "Roderich, oh Roderich! I love you, too!"

My name on her lips, and people clapping, I felt like I was in a horribly slapped together soap opera. At least, I think that's what a soap opera was supposed to be about. Gillian told me about them. As I held her, patting her back lightly, and turning my nose into her hair, I thought about the things I loved about her.

Gillian… I love her smile, definitely. She was happy about the dumbest things, and she certainly wasn't lacking in self-confidence, that was nice. Gillian was always willing to help me with my… _difficulties_, as I was always her shoulder to cry on. I just never thought a human would cry when they were happy as well. She sniffled as tried to stop crying, breathing my name into my ear.

"Roderich…"

My knees quaked beneath me; she had never said my name like that. So gently… yet longingly… I pulled back from her tight embrace, and kissed her cheeks where the tears had fallen. Sweet and salty tastes mixed in a dangerous combination that tasted like perfection. I felt her eyelashes brush the tip of my nose, and I smiled as I kissed her closed eyes, eliciting a giggle from Gillian.

I swallowed her bubbly laughter with a kiss, causing the restaurant to erupt in a series of whoops and hollers from several of the men. I held her face to mine with both of my hands braced on her cheeks, reminding myself through the haze of Gillian that we were still in a public place. Five long seconds later, I pulled away from her lips to take a long look at Gillian.

"I love you."

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

This was... painful to write. Roderich's speech, I mean. Agonizing.

So, I had to tell myself: "What would Roderich do?"

Which made me think: "What would Oprah do?"

Neither helped. It made me laugh, but not helpful. At all.

ANYWAY!

I've gotten a lot of people following this thing... I think. Sorry it took so long, by the way. I didn't mean for it to, honestly. I had a lot of stuff going on during the year.

Thank you,

Qi Li


	6. Music Store Madness

"Say it again."

My cold hand embraced Gillian's white gloved hand tightly as we stepped down the street in unison. I turned to Gillian with a raised eyebrow, and she merely bit her bottom lip while smiling coyly.

"Say it, Roderich. I want to hear it again."

"I love you."

My words followed hers easily, and I heard her heart pick up in pace as she smiled at the ground. Snowflakes clung to her blue hat, and littered her jacket, but she didn't brush them away like she usually did, she was busy holding my hand with a passion. Ever since we left the restaurant, she had dedicated herself to keeping as close to me as possible. This meant that she was holding my hand, hugging me, and kissing me more than I would like. My supply of blood was getting dangerously low, and I had resorted to taking small sips only when necessary.

Gillian's cheeks, nose, and tips of her ears were rosy with cold, and a breeze ran snow into our faces, causing her to squint and turn into my arm for shelter. We stopped walking, and I allowed myself to drink in the feeling of the human pressed against my shoulder. She was always so warm, it was hard to think that she could be cold… well, I'd never really felt cold, so I didn't know what to expect.

My jacket was designed for humans to keep them warm, ergo, it would keep Gillian warm. Nodding to myself to make sure that I made sense, I pulled Gillian from my arm and enveloped her in a tight embrace and shielding her face from the cold. Gillian trembled in my arms, shifting her weight from her left foot to her right foot and back again; I swore I heard her teeth chatter.

"So… so f-frickin' _cold_."

Gillian stated crossly, pressing her body against my chest. With her breasts pressed against me, I could tell that her heart rate was much slower than it usually was; I grew uneasy. She couldn't possibly be so cold she was freezing to death… could she? No, it wasn't that cold outside… was it? She told me earlier that she still wanted to go to one more store, and she didn't want to go home yet, no matter how hard it was snowing. My hands around her shoulders lowered, coming to her waist and pulling her up and into my chest as I pressed my cheek into her hair. Gillian tugged on my collar with shaking fingers, trying to drag me closer than I already was, and let out a quaking sigh.

"Gillian… you're much too cold… we should go home."

Vigorous shaking of Gillian's head was the response, signaling that she wouldn't go even if I dragged her by her ankles. She didn't say anything though, and I knew it was because her lips were too cold and she would stutter noticeably. Each breath sounded like a struggle, as if her lungs didn't feel like trying to support her in the cold. If she wouldn't take care of herself, I would have to try and do it myself.

"Please, Gillian… I'm concerned about your health. Are we at least close to the next store?"

Nodding met my question this time, and Gillian turned her face against my bare neck. I hissed; her lips felt so much cooler than they usually did. It was an uncomfortable feeling; she was always warm or even hot against my skin, and yet here she was, with skin almost as dead as mine.

"Y-yeah… it… it's just d-down the s-street…"

She must have been freezing. Simple logic struck me like a slap across the face; she was freezing cold. Wearing a tunic and tights with thin boots was _not _acceptable clothing for a human in this weather. Even I should have known that much. Sliding my left hand up Gillian's back slowly until it reached between her shoulder blades, I closed my eyes in contentment as she exhaled a warm, cloudy breath against my neck, her gloved fingers loosening from their iron grip on the front of my coat. I slid my hand back down to her waist, and she inhaled; it was like a trigger to keep her breath in order. Listening to her breathe in fascination, I continued to rub her back slowly, gaining an even breath from her lungs each turn.

"Well… I don't want you to freeze before we get there."

Gillian let out another cloud of breath as she pulled back, bringing her white gloved hands up to my face and cupping my cheeks, holding me fast as she gazed into my eyes. Her lips were pale from loss of circulation, and I noted that they shook slightly with each new struggling breath. I quickly caught her lips in a kiss, hoping to revive the lost blood circulation with pressure. Gillian kept her hands on the sides of my face; her grip was loose from loss of feeling in her fingers, but I could feel the intimacy of the gesture.

The usual spectrum of colors and desires flashed before my closed eyes, but I trained my mind to focus on moving Gillian's lips. I tilted my head at a new angle, sucking on her bottom lip while she gasped for cold winter air. Her heart beat pounded as a war drum in my ear, but I pressed on, holding her shivering fame to my own solid one with a steadfast grip. When Gillian let out a strange noise from the back of her throat, feral instincts in my body took over.

Forcing her mouth open, I slid my tongue into her warm waiting mouth, exploring each crevice that was there, fighting with her own tongue for dominance. Gillian's hands went back into my combed hair, struggling to hold onto my brown locks when she couldn't feel her fingers. She fought with me, using our mouths as the battlefield, and our tongues were soldiers. Oh, I could tell that my mouth was dry, but her wet tongue solved that issue. My fingers pressed into her back, causing her to arch into my body, standing on the tips of her toes to get away from my abusive fingers. With this movement of her body, I could hear exactly how fast her heart was thrumming away in her chest, and how hot she was getting with each kiss I brought down on her. _I should stop._

My head buzzed a warning, but I didn't want to stop. Gillian was enjoying herself… why couldn't I? Her lips seemed to be warm enough, so I could move on. Taking my right hand from her back, I cradled the back of her neck, bringing it to my lips for a kiss. Gillian responded by slamming her torso against my own, causing my body to feel a bit overwhelmed. I couldn't help but feel excited by the heat between us, but I knew that I was far from getting any attention for the part of my body that so badly needed it. Trying to think of anything but the excitement growing in my pants, I raked my tongue up the length of Gillian's neck, tasting the soft and sweet flesh. _I had to stop._

Too much was happening, in a very public place. Did that stop me? Of course not. Gillian held my head against her neck, and it took all of my resilience not to unceremoniously dig my teeth into her neck right then and there. Instead, I began to kiss up her neck where my tongue had swept seconds ago, thinking about where Gillian's right hand was going as it traveled down my chest. Gillian gave me room to explore, by loosening her grip on my hair, she allowed me to graze her jawline and kiss just below her ear, eliciting a sweet gasp from her lips. _I needed to stop._

No more; I told myself as I pried my lips from Gillian's skin. No more. This was going too far, Gillian was far too young, and we were in a far too public place. Pulling myself a few inches from her now heated skin, I stood up straight as her numb fingers released my hair.

Gillian's eyes held the familiar gaze of lust that I had grown accustomed to seeing every time we had gotten intimate, and her lips were now glistening and swollen. With eyes half-lidded, she exhaled deep, throbbing breaths into my face leaning back with my hands on her waist to keep her upright. She tilted forward for a moment, and brought our foreheads together so she could whisper to me.

"I love you…" She breathed sweet smelling air as she spoke. "I love you so much…"

I smiled genuinely, lacing my fingers together behind her back to support her quaking knees.

"Goodness, Gillian. I hope you love me for more than my body."

"Are you kidding?" Gillian shivered. God, she was already cold again? "That's the best part."

Her eyes closed tight as she spoke, and her brows knitted together as if she was so cold her brain was refusing to function. If I weren't so worried, I would have probably thought that the expression was comical, but this was Gillian, and I was still concerned, no matter how shrouded my thoughts were with lust. I still wanted to protect Gillian, and draining her body of blood would do the opposite.

Taking whatever strength was left in my reserves, I gave Gillian one last chaste kiss before bringing her hands from the back of my head. With her right hand in my own, I laced our fingers together and began trudging the in the general direction of the next store Gillian had mentioned. There was more dependency on me now; Gillian clung to my right arm with both of hers, pressing the left side of her face into my arm every so often.

Every two stores I would turn my head to Gillian as we shuffled along, asking her if we were any closer. She would always nod, poking one index finger forward before tucking it back beneath my arm. My bad luck seemed to know no bounds today; I had sacrificed the little self-restraint I had while kissing Gillian and she had been very warm in my arms. Now, her lips had a terrifying blue hue that seemed to suck the life from her skin. Even the red tint that her cheeks used to behold was gone, and her face was merely ashen and dull, as if someone had come and sucked all of the blood from her face. I for one knew that this was not the case. If anyone was to drink Gillian dry, I would be the first to do it. Part of me knew that I should feel ashamed of this fact, but I couldn't help it. Gillian was a tempting young woman.

"Here…"

My head swiveled down to see Gillian pointing to our right, where a store was nestled in among the taller buildings much like Amelia's store had been. Musical notes and pictures of the treble clef were pasted to the window, but behind the pictures was a curtain, shielding whatever was inside the store from the eyes of passersby. Sketchy? I think so. Ushering Gillian inside, I watched quietly as she stamped her snow covered boots on the entrance mat sitting directly inside the front door.

It was a music shop, I could tell… but it was much different than I would expect. Staying by Gillian's side, I allowed myself to take in the layout of the store. Guitars and violins hung along the walls with other miscellaneous instruments lining the walls below them. Aisles of shelves went through the middle of the stores with CDs in some and records in another. Someone was shuffling in the back of the store, but I didn't want to crane my neck to see them, I was still concerned about Gillian.

She had begun to take her hair out of the braids, and allowed the soggy platinum locks to flow down her back to her waist as they usually did. I held back the urge to run my fingers through the wet strands of hair, telling myself that I didn't need to; no matter nice it would feel. Ignoring my urge, I watched as Gillian shook the snow from her coat, brushing off her sleeves and hat during the process.

"Welcome," A strange voice greeted us, and Gillian turned up her head with me to see a young brunette woman standing behind the counter. A woman I recognized. When she caught sight of me, she flinched ever so slightly, but regained her composure before Gillian could notice. "Look around, if you have any questions or requests I'd be happy to help."

My eyes narrowed at the woman, trying to slap a name over her face, but nothing came to mind. The only thing I could think of was thievery and betrayal of the heinous kind. I could only think of my medallion being torn from my skin, and the burning of my skin. With all of the memories, I could never place a name on this woman's face. My jaw locked and unlocked, but I couldn't rid myself of the hostility in my gaze. Gillian noticed.

"Roderich… are you okay?"

I didn't answer; I was busy glaring at the girl behind the counter. She was staring back at me with an anger that rivaled my own. Her wavy brown hair was longer than I remembered it; when I knew her we were children, and her hair only reached her shoulders. At least 97 years later, it cascaded down to her waist, looking like a muddy rip-off of Gillian's beautiful hair. Her skin was a bit darker than mine, but it held the same dead tint of grey to it, indicating that she wasn't what she seemed. The pale pink frock she had worn as a child had been replaced with a long sleeve green shirt that reflected her flashing green eyes; I almost remembered her name. On the tip of my tongue, but I couldn't quite catch it.

"Fine." I answered after a too long pause. "Perfectly fine, Gillian."

She didn't believe me, I could tell. Gillian chose not to push it though, and kicked the last few chunks of snow from her boots before hesitantly taking her gloves off of her hands while staring at the floor. Handing me her soggy gloves, Gillian watched me as I put them in my pocket before gripping my right hand in hers with a vicious grip. I didn't ask why; she was intimidated by the vampire at the counter, whether or not she knew it was a vampire, she knew that I had met her before.

So, hand in hand, Gillian and I browsed the store. Gillian found the 'foreign' section, and flicked through a few Spanish and French CDs before finally finding German songs. I tried to focus on what she was looking at, watching as her empty hand pushed CD after CD forward, looking for new ones, but I couldn't help but feel the brunettes stare burning holes in the back of my head.

What was her name? It was something Hungarian, I think… hadn't I met her in Hungary? Gillian's hand around mine tightened, as if she knew what I was thinking about, and I instinctively reassured her.

"I love you."

This drew Gillian's attention from the CD rack to me, and she smiled the perfect smile that made my still heart ache to beat.

"I love you, too."

With that, I gave Gillian's hand one last reassuring squeeze before letting go, walking past the shelf we stood before to look at a violin that was hanging on the wall. It was an Amati violin; expensive and beautifully made. I knew exactly how big it was, I had played a violin similar to it in Austria; it was a 15.5 inch violin with a red finish that shone brand new. Closing my eyes, I could see it… that summer in Austria, with a familiar brunette Hungarian by my side.

_"Lord Edelstein!"_

_She called my name, and I turned to see her running to me. I was in my family's estate garden, having a cup of tea when she called to me. I watched her; brown hair tied back in a ribbon to match her dress, and a flower adorning her hair. Pink silky fabric rustled against her knees as she ran along with a smile bright on her young face. I stood as she drew nearer, setting my tea cup on the saucer sitting on the table. As she came to a graceful stop in front of me, she span in a quick circle, holding her arms out so I could see the sweet colored fabric of her frock clearly._

_"Isn't it beautiful? My mother bought it for me today… do you like it?"_

_"Yes." I answered politely, remembering the manners my parents had taught me. "You look very nice, Miss Héderváry."_

_After giving her a bow, she curtsied to me._

_"Thank you, Lord Edelstein."_

I remembered how important my family had been so long ago; important enough for there to be constant supervision over me wherever I went. I remembered that on that particular day, I had pleaded with my parents to allow me to stay in the garden, saying I was old enough to do so. Even with all of these things coming back to me, I still couldn't think of the girl's name. I felt my brows furrow together, but I didn't open my eyes. Instead, I pulled my hand forward to feel along the grain of the violin hanging in front of me.

_"Oh, it's a simply lovely violin, Lord Edelstein."_

_The young vampiric girl commented to me, smiling at me with the utmost happiness. I nodded back with a smile, lifting the violin to rest beneath my chin, and holding the bow in the correct grip before drawing the bow along the strings slowly. A chord drifted up into the summer air, and I felt every muscle in my body relax at the sound. The girl in front of me also seemed happy with the sound, and she sat down in a chair across the table from me._

_"Even the music is lovely… maybe it is because you are holding it? You grace that violin with even more beauty just being near it, Lord Edelstein."_

_I gave her a perplexed expression, and she giggled. Why was she saying I was beautiful? I didn't understand, so I merely continued to pull the bow along the violin strings, listening as a chorale of music poured out into the air delicately._

_"You know, Lord Edelstein… I've been meaning to ask you something."_

_Taking the bow from the strings, I set my violin on the table carefully with an open expression._

_"And what might that be, Miss Héderváry?"_

_The girl shifted in her chair uncomfortably and made a face as if she had taken a bite of human food. I watched quietly as she composed herself before asking._

_"I know that my family is not on the best of terms with yours, but I'm glad that the two of us are still able to get along. Ignoring the arguments of foolish old men, so to speak."_

_I didn't like that she had called my father a foolish old man, but I didn't speak out. She said that she had a question for me, and I wouldn't speak unless spoken to. She continued._

_"Lord Edelstein… no, Roderich… I am just a lowly vampiric child, not a full vampire like you… I do not need to fear the sun. Nor do I need to feed on humans as often as you do. Being of pure vampire decent, you are given more in your life than I could ever imagine. You, Roderich Edelstein, are at the height of aristocracy, and you think nothing of it."_

_It was true, I had never thought much of be an aristocrat. I was born into the life, with nothing to compare it to. So, I never complained, but I never really thought how lucky I was. The girl continued._

_"Why? Why do you get everything so easily? Why must the rest of us try so hard to live while you are free to do whatever you wish? It is unfair, Roderich. What is even more unfair is the fact that you don't understand how hard everything can be for the rest of us. I am not a vampire… I am vampiric, and it is unfair!"_

_Blinking, I struggled to digest what she was telling me. She was saying it was unfair of her to be born into a vampiric family, while it was also unfair for me to be born to my parents. With each statement, Miss Héderváry's voice escalated in tone, and she was trembling with anger. Part of me screamed to run, but I was caught by her green eyes, pleading silently to me._

_"Roderich, if I could take your place, I would in a heartbeat! I would love to fear the sun as you do, to feast on the blood of humans the way you do! Why can I not? Because, Roderich! Because…!"_

_Miss Héderváry sprung forward over the table, tipping it as she tackled me to the ground. Her hands were around my throat, but I didn't feel any pressure. I didn't need to breathe. It didn't matter to the girl, she was screaming at me now, her slightly sharp teeth bared as she spoke._

_"It's because you're in the way, Roderich! My father was right! Your family is in the way! With you gone, I can have everything you never care to take care of!"_

_Panic slipped into my body as she spoke, and my hands reached up to rake my nails across her face in defense. I caught a handful of hair, and the flower in her hair fell to pieces in my hand. I didn't mind, I was scared; she was trying to kill me. Throwing my weight up, I rolled until I was looming over Miss Héderváry, pinning her wrists to the grass of the garden floor and baring my own razor sharp teeth at her as I spoke._

What had I said? I remember I said something… what did I say?

_"Elizabeth, ridding the world of my existence will do you no good! It will merely label you as a criminal!"_

_My gaze grew pitiful as I looked at her; she continued to thrash beneath my vampire strength, trying to get free. Tears welled up in her eyes, and her voice broke as she cried out._

_"Roderich! Let me go, you fool!" She cried beneath me, and I felt so sorry for the logic her father had tried to thrust upon her. "You're such a fool… you don't understand! Let me go!"_

_"You're right. I don't understand, Elizabeth. Please… let us stop this, now. I thought we were friends."_

_My own voice sounded sullen and forgotten, and Elizabeth immediately stopped moving. She looked up at me with wide green eyes, tears spilling over her cheeks, and into her hair that was now tangled in the grass below her. Letting go of her wrists, the air left my lungs as Elizabeth enveloped me in a hug. Before I could react to the gesture, I heard a snap._

_The snap of string._

_A burning sensation came over me, and I yowled in pain as Elizabeth stood, standing over me with my medallion in her hand. I felt as if someone had thrust me into a fireplace, and I held my hands to my face, screwing my eyes shut as I screamed for my parents. She stood over me with an empty expression, as if she wanted to monitor my pain. I could feel my skin charring and decaying, healing quickly to be burnt away again. The effervescing sensation my boiling skin gave was excruciating, and I began to cry. I tried calling for my parents, but no one came._

_Only Elizabeth stayed with me, watching as my pain came in waves. My skin burned, replaced with a healthy layer to be burned away again. I wasn't dying, but I wished that I was. If I died, the pain would end, and I wouldn't be in such agony. The taste of blood welled in the back of my throat, and I knew that the burning was soaking through to my internal organs. Opening my mouth to cry for help again, blood choked my words, and splattered across the grass in front of me. Elizabeth smiled down at me with a look of insanity in her eyes as she spoke._

_"I told you… I told you that you were a fool, Roderich…"_

_"Mother!" I cried, my fingernails digging into the decaying flesh of my cheeks. "Father, help me!"_

"Roderich? What's wrong?"

My eyes opened, and I turned to Gillian who stood at my left side with an expression of concern. I blinked, feeling a strange sensation on my cheek. Before I could reach up, Gillian swept her thumb across my cheek, just below my eye. I was crying.

Lifting my gaze to Elizabeth at the counter, she was glaring at me with a passion, gripping the edge of the counter so hard even her vampiric strength could make it fall to pieces in her hand. I didn't want to look at her. I looked at her, and I felt nauseous. I took Gillian up in my arms, and closed my eyes tight trying to bury the memory of burning back in the dark place it had been before we had come here.

"I just… remembered something…"

My voice came in a hoarse whisper, as if I was screaming only moments ago. I felt Gillian's hands slowly slide up my sides before gripping my shoulders and pulling me closer. Her face was pressed against my left shoulder, and she rubbed her nose against my neck as she whispered to me.

"Was it scary? Or sad?"

"Both."

I didn't mean for it to, but my voice cracked, revealing the severity of fear that I had felt. Inhaling deeply, I allowed the sweet smell of the girl I loved to soothe me, calming the nerves that had nearly swallowed me whole only moments ago. Gillian nodded against my shoulder, as if she knew that I was truly bothered by this memory.

Her heartbeat slowly and evenly as she rubbed my back with her right hand, patting my shoulder with her left hand. The duo of actions was distracting, and drew my mind away from Elizabeth. I began to realize that my hands were fisted against Gillian's back, gripping the fabric of her coat tightly. Releasing slowly, I exhaled contentedly as Gillian rubbed her warm cheek against my own cold cheek, reminding myself once more that I was not burning.

"Is there anything I can do?"

She asked sweetly in my ear, cooing the words gently. I smiled, and whispered into her hair.

"Just be yourself, Gillian… that's all I want."

There was a grand pause, and then Gillian released a breath I didn't know she was holding. Warm lips were pressed to my cheek, but I didn't open my eyes. I savored the feeling of Gillian running her soft hands through my combed back hair, breathing deeply.

"_Ich liebe dich_, Roderich…" Gillian whispered to me in German, accentuating the words of love with a quick kiss to my lips. "_Ich liebe dich._"

There was a clicking sound, and I opened my eyes to see Elizabeth tapping her fingernails on the counter, obviously annoyed with our display of affection. I knew that Elizabeth could understand what Gillian was saying; we were both raised in Europe where German was spoken. Smiling slightly, I tipped Gillian's head forward and planted a kiss on top of her hair.

"_Danke._"

I whispered German to Gillian in return. Elizabeth's expression grew increasingly sour as Gillian and I held each other close. The vampiric girl behind the counter inhaled deeply, and then sighed dramatically as she rolled her eyes at us, and it only made me smirk. She couldn't harm me here, there were too many witnesses. Only a few other people were inside the store, but it was obvious that she couldn't kill them all. Besides, she would have to kill me first if she ever wanted to get to Gillian. Which would be highly unlikely; even if Elizabeth was vampiric, her strength was nothing compared to mine. Over the course of the past years of separation from Elizabeth, my strength had grown exponentially. I wasn't afraid of her anymore.

If I felt anything towards Elizabeth, I felt contempt. For betraying the trust I had put in her, and for breaking the truce between my pure vampire family and her vampiric family. She had ruined things for her family, and several of her family's allies, and thought nothing of it. After the incident of her taking my medallion in hopes to kill me, my parents had ordered that all of Vienna be barricaded in hopes of keeping he family from escaping. My parents thought that they would punish her. It wasn't even fifteen minutes of me burning beneath the sun that my parents found me, and by then, Elizabeth had run, dropping my medallion far from my reach.

"Roderich… why does she keep staring at us?" Blinking spastically, I pulled Gillian away from my shoulder with a raised eyebrow. She merely raised an eyebrow in response, her eyes flicking momentarily to Elizabeth to our right before returning to me. "Do you know her?"

I hesitated; this wasn't the sort of setting I liked to talk to Gillian about my past. The only time I really spoke to Gillian about things that happened before was when we were in my coffin. It was the only place I felt that I could say what I meant with only her to listen.

If I started telling her what happened with Elizabeth, I wouldn't be able to stop. I didn't want to dig that story up any more than I already had, so I did the only thing I could think of: avoid Gillian's question.

"Yes."

I responded tersely. Gillian scoffed, shifting her weight from her right foot to her left foot slowly, pivoting her hips so her left side just brushed against my torso.

"Oh? How do you know her?"

Not quite sure how to respond without giving the real reason, I threw out a tired answer.

"It's complicated."

There was a sour smirk playing on Gillian's lips, and I could tell that she wasn't nearly satisfied with my answer. My eyes flashed to Elizabeth for a moment to see her with a wicked smile. She could overhear us, I knew, but I didn't really want to give too much away.

"Complicated?" Gillian's voice brought me out of my thoughts, and I turned my attention back to the girl in my arms, who was currently pursing her lips in a disbelieving manner. "Complicated how?"

I heard Elizabeth giggle; she was happy that her presence was causing trouble between Gillian and me, but I didn't allow that to deter me. Giving Gillian a pained expression, I allowed a sad smile to come to my expression, instantly eradicating Gillian's anger.

"I can't talk about it, Gillian." I blinked away a wave of anger that came with my memories. "At least, not right now." Damn, my voice cracked again, and Elizabeth turned away to laugh into her hand.

"Okay." Gillian purred into my ear as she pulled me down into her arms again. I inhaled the scent the wafted from her hair, calming all of my nerves. "Okay, we'll talk about it some other time… when she isn't laughing like a crazy person."

My lips turned up in a real smile, and I kissed her hair, leaving my lips on her platinum locks, lingering to breath in the beautiful smell of the human in my arms. Gillian's fingers ran through my hair, and along the collar of my jacket, occasionally dipping down to slide against the nape of my neck. I unconsciously allowed my eyes to flutter shut as Gillian's hands soothed the tension from my memory.

"Did you used to play the violin?"

The comfort in my stature faltered for a moment, but the discomfort was washed away when her fingers gently ran through my hair. Pastel colors danced behind my closed eyes while Gillian waited for my response; I had never taken this long to answer any of her questions. For once, I wasn't in a rush to respond. I was perfectly content to hold Gillian in my arms and let the world around us turn as we held still; but I knew that this decision wasn't what Gillian wanted.

"Yes." I murmured into her hair. "A very long time ago."

For 97 years, I'd never wanted to dig up the memory of the garden. Even when my parents assured me that playing the violin wouldn't bring the burning sensation back to my skin, but I didn't want to risk it. Instead, I avoided playing music for all of these years. I anticipated what Gillian was going to say before she did; she was a curious girl. She wanted me to play something for her.

"Really?" I struggled a smile as she pulled away, opening my eyes to be greeted by Gillian's sweet smile and her ruby eyes shining up at me. "Will you play something for me? Just this once?"

Something in my chest began to hurt; I wanted Gillian's birthday to be special, but I didn't want to break down and have a fit… I didn't know how I would react. My violet eyes flicked from her expecting expression to the violin hanging on the wall, and I fought with myself. Could I just respectfully decline? She wouldn't think any less of me… would she?

"Really, I think you should play something for the girl."

Elizabeth's voice put me on edge, and my hands balled into fists. She stood a few feet behind Gillian with a smile. I'm sure the smile was meant to be charming, but it didn't seem to reach her eyes as she glared daggers into me. I felt my sharp teeth gnashing together, itching for the chance to rip the Hungarian apart, but I merely gave her my own fake smile dripping with distaste.

"Oh? No one asked your opinion, Miss. You should learn to mind your own business."

Gillian flinched at my tone, and Elizabeth's smile twitched, but she stepped forward anyway. Drawing my human companion into my chest and away from Elizabeth, I grit my teeth as she came closer. Gillian understood that there was tension between the two of us, and gripped the front of my jacket directly over my medallion, and I placed a firm hand over hers. Without moving her eyes from mine, Elizabeth took the violin from the wall and held it out to me in one fluid motion, producing a bow from the shelf below where the violin had been hanging.

"It's a simply lovely violin, _Lord Edelstein._ You absolutely _must _play it."

My gut wrenched at the sound of my title coming from Elizabeth's mouth, dripping with disgust. Even Gillian tensed at the mention of my name used in such a manner. I didn't take my eyes from Elizabeth as I gently moved Gillian from my arms to stand behind me. There were still people in the store, and a few of them were sending us strange looks, but I didn't like the way Elizabeth was speaking to me.

I held out my hand for the violin, and I watched in clear repulsion as her tongue flicked across her lips in an urge to lunge at me. After a moment of hesitation, the vampiric girl handed me the violin, her fingers lingering on my own too long, causing me to draw away. With a dark smile on Elizabeth's face, she waited for me to take a step back to angle my body to hold the violin correctly. Gillian came to stand in front of me, adjacent to Elizabeth.

Gillian's arms were crossed over her chest, and her light eyebrows were slightly drawn together as she watched me raise the violin to my chin. Licking my dry lips, I kept my guard up as I brought the bow up, close to the strings. If my heart could beat, it would be racing in fear. Would playing bring those horrible memories back with a vengeance? It was too late to back down, I suppose. Taking in a deep breath, I drew the bow over the strings.

A major chord rippled into the air, and I gasped at the sound. Gillian took a breath and held it when my hands paused; nothing happened. It was just music. Nothing bad was happening to me or Gillian. Everything was fine. Repositioning the bow in my hand, I allowed myself to slip back into the comfort of holding the violin in my hands, and I brought the bow across the violin again.

Notes filled the once quiet music store as I moved up a major scale, descending in a minor key. Glancing over to Gillian I saw a smile creeping onto her lips as my fingers began to move faster over the strings and I quickly switched to play a smooth vibrato. Glancing up, I noticed a music book that was sitting open on a stand for display. 'Dare I Say' by Alexander Rybak was the song on display, and I tapped the end of my foot to keep time as I played through the song easily.

Gillian noticed that I was staring at something above her head, and pivoted on her heel to glance at the book behind her. When she noted that I was holding the note at the end of the page, she reached up and turned the page for me. Chuckling lightly, I allowed myself to sway on longer held notes, savoring the feeling of the violin gave a swelling crescendo on them.

Ending the song on a slow vibrato that could bring Mozart to tears, I released the strings of the violin from the pressure of the bow. I braced myself as a wave of noise echoed around the store. The sound of clapping resounded throughout the space of the store, and I allowed my arms to fall to my sides, nodding at the respectful responses I earned from the humans inhabiting the store.

"That was amazing, Roderich!"

Gillian slowly wrapped her arms around my neck in a move that was surely meant to be sensual; a smile slowly formed on my lips, and Gillian's smile overlapped my own as her lips captured mine. I didn't have to do much of anything; Gillian was more than happy to press her body against mine, sending my mind a series of tastes and smells. With a small noise of protest, I signaled to Gillian that I was getting uncomfortable with how much I wanted to close in on her neck. My partner didn't mind, and she pulled herself from my lips with a heavy breath, reaching her hand to the back of my head to tilt my head down so she could plant a soft kiss on my forehead.

"Thank you."

I mumbled as Gillian took a step back, smirking before giving Elizabeth a sour face. Elizabeth rolled her eyes at Gillian, but gave me a smile.

"It was very lovely, Lord Edelstein."

That ruined my lighthearted mood, and I gave Elizabeth a crisp nod, handing her the violin before turning my back to her dismissively. Gillian caught what I was implying, and took my hand, and began to tug me toward the entrance.

"Gillian…" I glanced back at the shelf of CD's she had left. "Didn't you want to buy a CD?"

"Oh, that… they didn't have what I wanted." She answered with a shrug of her shoulders. Stopping her before she marched headfirst out into the snow, I brought her hat from my coat pocket and positioned it on her head, brushing her bangs from her eyes in the process. "So, it's not a big deal."

I hummed in response, wondering if she was telling me the truth. Before I could think on it anymore, she pulled me out the door, towing me down the street in a quick pace. Why were we in such a hurry? We weren't going to miss the bus back home… if anything, we were early.

"Hey…" Gillian turned to me as I matched her pace. I gave her an open expression. "Why did she call you 'Lord Edelstein'?"

My grip on her hand tightened, and I loosened it as she winced. I tried to draw up an answer, but my mind only supplied me with feeble excuses.

"It's… not very important."

Gillian huffed, pulling her hand from mine to glare at me. I blinked; was she mad at me? Yes, that much was obvious… but… why?

"Do you trust me, Roderich?"

"O-of course, Gillian…" I stammered, "But -"

"_But, _you just can't tell me anything, can you?"

She summarized for me, stomping her feet on the ground to loosen them from winter's cold grip. I frowned; that wasn't it.

"No, I…"

"You just keep telling me 'you can't talk about it', or 'it's not important'. Why can't you just tell me? What's so complicated about it?"

"It's not complicated, Gillian… I just,"

"What? In the store you said that it _was _complicated! If you're going to lie to me, do me a favor and be consistent!"

This was confusing. Where all teenage girls like this? Not even five minutes ago, she was kissing me, and now she was screaming at me on a busy sidewalk.

"I'm not lying, Gillian…"

"Then, tell me. Who was that girl? Why did she call you 'Lord Edelstein'? And what was that whole thing about you remembering something weird in that store? Did you two break up or something? And, why was she…"

"Stop! Gillian," I placed my hands on her cheeks and pulled her forward, eliciting a gasp from her soft lips as I did so. Her red eyes pleaded with mine, and I let out a breath. "Please… all of these things tie together, you see… and these memories… these stories… they're very hard for me to talk about. You can't honestly tell me that you haven't had any dark experiences in your past, can you? Don't you have any secrets?"

Gillian let out a strange whine, and I released her cheeks in fear that I was hurting her. Without warning, she pulled me down to catch my mouth in her own. My mind spiraled down in streaks of color as I opened my mouth and Gillian's tongue slid in to dance with mine.

Placing my hand on her back, I pulled my arm back, bringing her closer. That is, until she let out a pained gasp.

My eyes snapped open in fear that I had bit her without intending to, but there was no blood. Gillian's eyes screwed shut, and the fingers she had knotted in my hair pulled just a little too hard. Experimenting, I tried to figure out what I had done wrong by undoing my actions one by one. I pulled my face from hers, but she still wore that pained visage. Taking my hand from her back, I watched in concern as her face smoothed, and her eyes opened to meet mine sheepishly.

Cocking my head to the side, I gave her a quizzical look. She took a deep breath as if to say something, but then let it out, blowing a cloud of air into my face.

"Roderich… I do have secrets. But I trust you. That's why I want to go back to your house. I have some stuff I really, really… _really _want to talk to you about."

I decided to overlook her strained use of 'really', and focused on the fact that she mentioned that she needed to talk to me. With such a serious expression, no less.

"Well… alright." I hesitated, wondering if there was something wrong with Gillian. She had never acted like this before, and it was confusing. But, she said that she trusted me, and I had to trust her too. I knew that I loved her, and I couldn't love her without trust. At least, that's what my parents always preached. "Shall we go, then?"

Gillian gave me a slow nod before locking her arm with mine, and leaning into my left arm as we strode down the street in a leisurely pace. The wind was to our backs now, and the only thing that displeased Gillian was the fact that her unbraided hair was now whipping around her face. She tried to relieve my tension by talking about something else besides the awkward encounter.

"I need to cut my hair," she said, and I nodded quietly as I looked straight ahead. "Like, really bad."

I didn't respond. I was a bit nervous; what happened to Gillian? Did she get hurt because of me? Or perhaps it was something worse… she wasn't getting hit at home, was she? No… she would've told me that before, wouldn't she?

My thoughts were cut off when Gillian stopped. Even though I could've just kept going and pull her along, I stopped. From the inside of Gillian's coat, she produced the bag she had received from Amelia at her store, and with trembling hands, took the mirror from the inside. My heart felt a bit lighter at the sight of her staring down at the glass, up to me, and back to the glass.

"It shows who you trust the most…"

She whispered; if I hadn't had heightened hearing, I wouldn't have heard it over the bustling noise of the city streets. My chest felt tight; who did she see in the mirror? I hoped it was me… oh, god I hoped that it was me that she saw. I had never been very good at trusting anyone, especially a human, but here I was. In love with a human, and hoping that she trusted me with her life.

"Really?" I tried not to sound too nervous, and I watched Gillian push a strand of her hair behind her ear as she looked at me. "That's… something."

Gillian beckoned me forward with a wave of her hand, and I quickly came to stand behind her, peering over her shoulder to see what she saw. Just as I wished, I was standing in the picture frame. The picture of me in the mirror reflected a far off look in my eyes, accompanied by my mouth set in a tight line. Was this how Gillian saw me? So emotionless? Without missing a beat, Gillian turned to me and took my hand, holding the mirror to her chest and blocking the glass from my line of sight.

I could feel it; all of the emotions in Gillian's small body were bubbling up, threatening to boil over in a long, drawn out discussion about what she was feeling. Before she could utter even a single word, I held a finger to her soft lips, feeling them tremble with emotion.

"I understand." I said. Simple, yes… but it needed to be said. "Let's go home, and we can talk."

With a watery smile and a nod, Gillian wrapped her arms around my shoulders to give me a quick hug before releasing me to take my hand. We walked down the street in a light silence, and I would smile every time Gillian subconsciously snuggled into my arm for warmth.

This human, this girl, she trusted me. She trusted me to the extent of allowing me, a vampire, to spend the entire day alone with her. Gillian trusted me so much she let me kiss her without fear. This girl in my arms was coming back to my home to tell me something she hadn't told anyone before. Because she trusted me. Something in my chest snapped, and I took in a sharp breath, halting my steps as cold realization slapped me in the face.

"Roderich?"

The cause of my realization gave me a strange look, squeezing my arm out of worry. My chest ached; and I knew why.

"It's nothing." I lied fluidly, flashing a calm smile. "I just got distracted. We should hurry, or we'll miss the bus."

Gillian smiled back in return, and continued walking with me as a fell into a steady pace. I knew what I had been thinking about… I knew that Gillian trusted me. The thought that made my heart ache in fear, that made me feel afraid to tell Gillian that I loved her… it was all the same thought.

_What if I let her down?_

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Well, this was interesting. Not really.

Uhm... not much to say. I didn't like writing about Elizabeth.

Especially because she isn't usually called Elizabeth.

Yeah, yeah... don't yell at me. It's my story. Read it if you want.

Love and Kisses,

Qi Li


	7. The Promise

The ride home on the bus was eerily quiet; Gillian really didn't look like she wanted to talk, so I remained silent as she stared out the window. She didn't lean on me, and didn't hold my hand… she was very… shall we say, _distant._ The flecks of snow still caught in her hair melted in the heat of the bus, and I watched in quiet fascination as her hair dried quickly. There weren't many people on the bus, and the seats around us were empty in a three seat radius, but the body heat from more people on the vehicle warmed Gillian's formerly cold body.

Minutes passed, and Gillian slid down in her seat, angling her body so she was curled into my side. Without hesitation, she took my right arm and draped it around her torso, closing her eyes. She was going to fall asleep. On the bus. How quaint.

"Well, no one really saw that coming… I expected her to hate you by now."

A familiar stench of arrogance wafted to my nose, and I turned to my left to see Arthur sitting calmly in the seat across the aisle from us. His hands were folded neatly in his lap, on top of a book I guessed was a fancy book of spells. A visage of tranquility was on his face, as if he had no care in the world as he brushed nonexistent lint from his black coat.

"You know what they say…" Arthur smiled at me, his green eyes glowing dangerously. "Familiarity breeds contempt."

Turning away from him, I tried to keep my anger in check. A frown came to my face, and my brows knit together in thought.

"I saw Elizabeth today."

My voice was hardly a whisper as I spoke, but I knew that Arthur had heard me when he sucked in a shallow breath. The dispute between Elizabeth's family and my own had been very… _loud_ in the nonhuman world. Even Arthur, who wasn't immortal at the time, knew that it was a big deal. I remembered that he was only a wizard in training at the time of Elizabeth betraying us, and couldn't sustain immortal life. Thus, he couldn't do much to help. But, now here he was. Stalking me on my last day with Gillian this year, and telling me that she was inevitably going to hate me. At least I could change the subject.

"Elizabeth? Are you sure?"

Amethyst eyes met emerald as my gaze snapped back to him, anger flashing in my eyes as I did.

"Yes, I'm sure. I wouldn't have brought it up if I wasn't sure."

I watched quietly as Arthur opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it after a moment of thought. I could almost see the wheels of thought turning in his head, thinking of what to do.

"Does Gillian know?"

"No… but I'm going to tell her. It would be best if she knew."

"Would it?" The English wizard shifted in his seat, turning so his body faced mine. "Roderich, it might put her in more danger if she knew. I know that you are a bloodthirsty beast who wants nothing more than to suck her dry, but I am on the side of humans. I'd be more than happy to keep her the hell away from you, if need be."

"She needs to know." I stated tersely, tired of talking to him.

"So, what if she gets kidnapped in hopes that you'll come after her? What then, Roderich?"

I glared at Arthur, trying to make it clear just how much I hated him for that question.

"I _would _come after her."

"Yes. And that is exactly what they would want… Roderich, please. For once in your miserably long life, be reasonable, and see what's best for Gillian."

"She should know, Arthur. That would be best."

"No," Arthur wrung his hands in the air, trying to prove a point. "That's what you think is best. Roderich… she's just a child. She has been on this earth a tiny fraction of what you have… she doesn't know the imminent dangers of being with an Edelstein. Please, for pity's sake…"

"No." I cut off Arthur with a sharp cut of my tongue. "I will tell her. If she thinks it is too much, I'll leave her be. Otherwise, it is none of your concern."

Arthur's gaze grew desperate, and he shook his head.

"She's a headstrong teenager. She'll run towards anything that will make her more special. Drugs, alcohol, and a vampire that could get her killed… all teenagers are like this Roderich. She doesn't understand why it's so bad to trust you."

My chest ached at his final statement, and Gillian stirred in my arms. Looking down at her, I pressed my cheek into her hair, mumbling quietly.

"I want her to trust me Arthur… no, it's more than that. I _need _her to trust me. I've been with her too long to imagine _not _being with her… does that make any sense?"

Arthur grumbled a yes, and I continued.

"Please… if it's as you say – and I'm sure it is – Gillian won't understand alone. I'll make her understand, alright? I'll make sure she knows what she's getting into."

There was a pause, and I heard the fabric of Arthur's ruffle as he squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. I refused to look at him.

"Roderich… do you swear? Do you swear that if Gillian becomes afraid of you, and of this relationship… you will leave her to the wizards and immortals of this town? You will allow us to keep her safe and away from you?" I didn't like how that sounded; it sounded too… _personal_. "Amelia will watch her with me, I promise… Roderich, I need your word on this, chap."

I watched Gillian breathe in my arms, safe and secure beneath my arm. She seemed untouchable this way, far out of the reach of people who wanted nothing more than to kill me. My hands balled into fists against Gillian's shoulders, and I closed my eyes, trying to think of a way out of this. Nothing came to mind.

"I swear to it, Arthur. If she is afraid, I will… leave her. I swear."

Turning back to Arthur expecting to see a smug expression, I was met with the most condolatory face I had ever encountered. The wizard reached out a hand, and gripped my shoulder in a movement that was meant to be supportive, but it made me feel hollow. What had I just agreed to? I had agreed to leave Gillian if she was afraid of me… afraid of being with me. What if she was already afraid? I had agreed to let the only person who had really learned to trust me slip through my fingers like water.

"You've made the right decision, Roderich. I know you have."

It was too painful. The look on his face. It made me feel like I had fallen down and my parents were telling me that it happened to everyone. I was so… pitiful.

I looked away from him, trying to erase the expression from my mind, but it was painted to the back of my eyelids, ready to make me feel more horrible than the moment before. There was another pat on my back, and a long bout of silence. I didn't bother to turn around, it wouldn't amount to anything.

No one was there. He was gone. Arthur had left me to suffer in silence.

I felt like I was being eaten alive; torn to pieces by my own words. Gillian was still lying in my arms, safe and sound, and I was internally raging. If I could have a heart attack, I would have it in a heartbeat just to get rid of the pressure building in my chest. It hurt to breathe, to move, to think… it hurt to wonder if I really _had _made the right choice. I probably hadn't. Arthur had walked me into some sort of mind game, telling me all of the things I wished I'd never heard. He had led me into a trap, and I took the bait.

It was like the old saying: You got what you deserved.

Gillian. Gillian was the only thing that would dissuade me from my usually stone stature. She was warm and kind, rough and fun… all of the things that I really _wasn't_. Perhaps I was attracted to her because she was so different from anything I had ever experienced, falling for her because I knew I couldn't have her. Being selfish and chaining her down with words of love. It was my fault. I was reaching for the forbidden fruit, something I knew I couldn't have, and now I was going to pay the price.

You got what you deserved.

I had done whatever I wanted, and now I was being punished by some unseen force. Yes, it only made sense that it would be my fault. It was the only logical explanation. I had agreed to leave Gillian, but where did that leave her? I never once asked what she wanted. Now the thought crossed my mind. Even if she was afraid, she might want to stay with me. She might feel exact same dependence with me as I do with her.

Got what you deserved.

Now, I could only dream of what would happen when Gillian and I reached my home. She would open her mouth to spill her secret, but I would stop her. I had to stop her. She couldn't tell me such things; I didn't deserve to hear such intimate details of her life. She had to hear what I said first. She had to hear what I had been avoiding for so long. She had to know that she was in danger.

What you deserved.

Gillian would be terrified to know that my family was shrouded with threats to our life every day. She would be horrified to know that we had been posting a guard outside her house to make sure that she was safe at night. She would be absolutely mortified to know that I would check on her – dozens of times a night if need be – if there was a threat to 'anyone important to me'. Gillian would be… she would be…

What you deserved…

"Oh, Gillian…" I cooed into her hair. "You deserved so much more than _me._"

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**

Yes, this chapter was very short, but it needed to be written. For some reason, Arthur was very easy to write in this chapter... usually, he's a bit of a Challenge Child.

Thank you for reading,

I look forward to writing the next installment. I bet you're all wondering what's going to happen to Gillian, yes?

We'll get to that, I promise.

Thank you,

Qi Li


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